Natsu Dragneel the Dual Dragon Slayer
by JTZ29
Summary: While searching for Igneel, Natsu stumbled across Valinor, the lightning dragon king. During his search for Igneel, and journey to Fairy Tail, Natsu will run into several familiar faces along the way. Watch as Natsu becomes the world's first dual dragon slayer. Story will follow cannon arcs, but with my own spin on them. Pairing will be Natsu x Harem. Lemons later in the story.
1. Chapter 1 The Start of an Adventure

**Hey guys! So this will be my first ever Fairy Tail fic, but I do have a few other pics under my belt already. I want to thank cruzcartoon for giving me the idea for this fic. This story will follow cannon events, but with my own spin on them. In this fic Natsu will have both Fire and Lightning Dragon Slayer magic. The pairing in this fic will Natsu x Lucy x Erza x Wendy, with a possible side pairing Gajeevy. Before I get any messages complaining about Wendy being too young, she'll be 16 when she enters the relationship with Natsu. So Wendy will be slightly older than her cannon self. But she'll look pretty much the same, just taller. I'm also open to the idea of adding one, emphasis on one, more girl. Who the girl is, and if you even want one will be up to you guys. So with that out of the way let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.**

Natsu (10 years old)

Wendy (8 years old)

Jellal (12 years old)

Erza (11 years old)

Lucy (10 years old)

* * *

(July 12th, X777)

"IGNEEL! WHERE ARE YOU?!" A young pink-haired boy yelled as he walked through the forest. "Where did you go?"

Natsu Dragneel gripped his scarf protectively as he leaned against a tree to catch his breath. He slowly sank to the ground, and buried his head into his knees.

"Igneel," Natsu whispered, as tears built in the corners of his eyes. "Why did you leave me?"

_"D-Did he abandon me? Did he not love me?" _Natsu thought as tears fell from his eyes.

The young boy had been looking for his father for almost five days now. He had awoken one day to find that Igneel was gone without a trace. Natsu immediately started searching for the fire dragon all across Fiore. The dragon slayer had covered miles of ground, but hadn't found a single clue as to where Igneel could be.

_"Why would he leave without telling me? Maybe something happened to him?" _Natsu thought as he wiped away his tears. He stood up and adjusted his scarf, which was made of dragon scales. _"I have to find Igneel. I will find you father." _

Natsu picked a direction and started his search once again. He scoured the forest for a single clue that could possibly point him towards where Igneel might be. But after searching for hours, Natsu came up empty handed.

"Damnit!" Natsu exclaimed as he punched a tree. "Why can't I find anything?!"

Natsu sighed and sank to the ground. He looked around and noticed that it was getting late.

"Well I better make a fire, and try to find some food."

Quickly gathering some sticks, Natsu made a small pile. Using his fire dragon slayer magic, Natsu formed a small flame in his hand and tossed into the pile of sticks. The sticks burst into flames, earning a small grin from Natsu. After searching around, Natsu managed to find a handful of nuts and berries. He looked at the various nuts and berries in his hand and sighed.

"Well I guess this is dinner," Natsu said as he popped a berry into his mouth.

Immediately Natsu's lips puckered, and his eyes began to water. He quickly spit the berry out and started coughing.

"What the hell! That thing was super sour!" Natsu yelled as he tried desperately to forget the awful taste. "Wait! Didn't Igneel warn me about poisonous berries? He told me how to tell the difference between good berries and poisonous ones. The poisonous berries will have a distinct and nasty smell compared to the normal berries."

Using his enhanced sense of smell. Natsu separated the normal berries from the poisonous ones. After he separated the berries, Natsu popped another one into his mouth.

"Ugh, they're still really sour," Natsu said as he forced the berry down. "But they're all I've got to eat, so bottoms up."

After successfully forcing the berries and nuts down, Natsu sat staring into the small fire in front of him.

"Igneel," Natsu whispered as he gazed into the bright flames. His eyelids drooping as sleep started to overtake him.

But just before he could fall asleep, Natsu heard a scream echo out through the forest. He was instantly on his feet, and sprinting towards where he had heard the scream. The dragon slayer soon found himself in a small clearing. Natsu spotted several people on the other side of the clearing. There was a small blue-haired girl, who looked a few years younger than him. Then there was a blue-haired boy with a red tattoo around his right eye. The boy was standing in front of the girl protectively as four men stalked towards them.

"Come on little boy," One of the men said as he stepped forward. "Hand over everything you've got!"

"And I said no." The boy said as he pulled a staff off his back. "Come any closer and I will be forced to retaliate."

"Jellal don't! Just give them what they want." The little girl said with a scared look in her eyes.

"Yeah, you should listen to your little friend there." The lead thug said as he took another step forward. "Now are you gonna hand over your stuff," The man said as he pulled out a sword. "Or are we gonna have to take it?"

Jellal looked at the four approaching bandits, and took a fighting stance.

"You're gonna have to take it off my lifeless body," Jellal said as he turned to face the small girl. "Wendy run, and get out of here."

"No! Jellal I won't abandon you!" Wendy said as tears formed in her eyes.

"Wendy!" Jellal yelled, startling the girl. "Please go, I can't let these men hurt you."

"But," Wendy tried to argue but Jellal cut her off.

"You want to find Grandeeney, right?" Jellal said, making Wendy's eyes widen. "Then get out of here and keep searching for her. I'll take care of these guys."

Wendy looked torn as she shifted her gaze to the forest behind her. After a few moments she nodded and ran off into the forest.

"Aww how sweet." One of the thugs said with a wicked grin. "Save the little girl, while you sacrifice yourself."

"Let's kill this kid quick, then go after the girl." Another thug said with an evil smirk.

"You won't lay a finger on Wendy," Jellal growled out as he glared at the bandits.

"Enough talk," The lead bandit said as he charged forward. "Time for you to die."

The lead bandit swung his sword at Jellal, but the boy quickly ducked underneath the sword. Jellal swung his staff hard in the man's knee. A sickening crack was heard, as the man's knee shattered.

"AHHH! You little shit!" The lead bandit roared as he fell to the ground. He turned his head to see the other men standing around. "What are you all waiting for?! Kill this bastard!"

Hearing this the other men all charged Jellal at once. Not liking the odds, Natsu decided to finally make his presence know.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar**"

Jellal turned to see a stream of fire fly past him, and hit one of the bandits square in the chest. The bandit went flying back, charred and knocked out. Everyone was shocked to see a small pink-haired boy wiping excess flames from his mouth.

"Who are you?" Jellal asked as Natsu walked up next to him.

"I'll tell you after we beat these assholes." Natsu said with a grin as he punched his fists together, engulfing them both in flames. "I'm all fired up."

"Shit that kid is a mage," One of the bandits said as he took a step back.

"What are you afraid of?! He's a little kid!" The lead bandit roared as he stood up on wobbly legs.

A tick mark formed on Natsu's head at that comment.

"I'm not just some little kid!" Natsu yelled as he charged forward, flames licking his hands. "I'm a dragon slayer!"

Jellal went wide eyed when he heard this.

_"He's a dragon slayer too, just like Wendy." _Jellal thought as he watched Natsu dodge a sword swing.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist**," Natsu said as he sent a flaming uppercut into one of the bandit's jaw.

"HEY!" Natsu exclaimed as he turned to face Jellal, all the while still dodging attacks. "Are you just gonna stand around, or are you gonna help me?!"

This snapped Jellal out of his trance, and he joined Natsu in the fray. They both ran towards the last bandit who could still fight.

"You little bastards!" The man yelled as he charged Natsu and Jellal.

The bandit swung his sword wildly as he tried to hit Jellal and Natsu. On one swipe Natsu ducked underneath, while Jellal rolled to the left.

"**Fire Dragon's Claw**," Natsu yelled as he slammed a flaming foot into the bandit's right side.

At the same time Jellal recovered from his roll, and swung his staff. His blow struck the bandit in the left side of his head. Caught between both attacks, the bandit was instantly knocked out. Both Natsu and Jellal stood panting over the unconscious thug.

"Not...bad...for a little kid," Jellal said with a small grin.

"You...weren't too bad...yourself," Natsu said with a massive grin of his own.

"You gonna tell me who you are now?" Jellal asked as he eyed Natsu up and down.

"Oh! I'm," But Natsu was cut off by the sound of a gun cocking behind them.

Both boys spun around to see the bandit leader pointing a magic gun at them.

"You little shits!" The leader yelled as he aimed his weapon at Jellal. "I'm gonna kill you both here and now."

The man pulled the trigger, and timed seemed to slow for Natsu. He looked at Jellal who was staring the bandit leader wide eyed. Coming to a decision, Natsu quickly shoved Jellal out of the bullets way. The bullet missed Jellal, but hit Natsu in the shoulder.

"Ha! How noble of you boy!" The leader laughed, as Natsu clutched his bleeding shoulder.

The dragon slayer tried to stand, but immense pain shot through his shoulder as soon as it moved.

"Time to finish you off. Then I can kill that blue-haired bastard next." The leader said as he pointed his pistol at Natsu.

"Don't take your eyes off your opponents!"

The bandit leader turned his head to see Jellal charging at him. Before the man could react, Jellal struck him in the stomach with his staff.

"Pinkie finish him off!" Jellal exclaimed as the bandit leader raised his pistol to aim at Jellal.

"Way ahead of you, and don't call me pinkie!" Natsu yelled as he sucked in a large breath of air. "**Fire Dragon's Roar**."

The bandit leader turned to see a wall of fire heading straight at him. When the leader tried to dodge the fire, he fell to his knees as searing pain shot through his leg. The man could only cringe as his body was engulfed in the flames. When the flames finally died down, the bandit leader was rendered unconscious.

"Thanks for the save back there." Jellal said as he walked up to Natsu. "Are you alright?"

"Ah, I'll be fine," Natsu said with a grin. But a sudden wave of pain made him grunt and grasp his shoulder.

"I need to get you some help," Jellal said as he helped support Natsu. "There's a town not too far from here. Maybe they'll have a doctor."

But right before Jellal started to carry Natsu off, Wendy burst out of the nearby bushes.

"Jellal you're okay," The little girl said as she hugged Jellal's legs.

"Wendy?! I thought I told you to get out of here." Jellal said, as Wendy looked at her feet.

"I couldn't abandon you Jellal. So I hid in the bushes and watched," Wendy confessed as she shuffled from foot to foot.

"AH!" Natsu exclaimed as pain shot through his shoulder.

"Wendy we'll discuss this later, but right now we need to get this guy to a doctor." Jellal said as he started to walk Natsu through the forest.

"Wait, he's injured?" Wendy asked as she ran up next to Jellal.

"Yeah, he pushed me out of the way and took a bullet in the shoulder." Jellal explained, but he was surprised when Wendy ran in front of him.

"Let me heal him then." Wendy said with a determined look.

"No, Wendy it's too dangerous for you." Jellal said as he continued to walk past Wendy.

"Please," Wendy said as she grabbed the back of Jellal's shirt. "He saved you, now let me help him."

Jellal looked at Wendy, and saw the fierce determination in her eyes. He knew that she wouldn't back down from this.

"Alright," Jellal said with a sigh, as he set Natsu down onto the ground.

"Thank you Jellal," Wendy cheered as she kneeled next to Natsu.

Wendy's hands started to glow green as she healed Natsu's wound. But within minutes Wendy was sweating and breathing heavily.

"Wendy you should take a break. You stopped the blood flow. We should be able to get him to a doctor now." Jellal said as he put a hand on Wendy's shoulder.

"No, I can do it," Wendy said as she closed her eyes in concentration. Her breathing became ragged as sweat dripped off her forehead. "I'm almost done."

Jellal watched as the wound on Natsu's shoulder slowly started to close. As soon as the wound fully closed, Wendy let out a shaky breath.

"Done. See I told you I could do it," Wendy said with a smile, before she fell over unconscious.

"Wendy!" Jellal yelled as he reached out to grab Wendy. But he was surprised when Natsu sat up and caught her.

"Thank you," Natsu whispered as he hugged Wendy.

Even though she was unconscious Wendy smiled, and snuggled closer to Natsu.

"Let's set up a camp. You can stay with us tonight," Jellal said as he started to take things out of his bag.

Natsu gently picked Wendy up, and leaned her against a tree. He then went and started to help Jellal set up camp.

"So who are you?" Jellal asked as he unrolled sleeping bags.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel," Natsu said with a toothy grin. "The fire dragon slayer."

"So you're a dragon slayer," Jellal said as he pointed to Wendy. "She's one too."

"What?!" Natsu yelled completely shocked. "That little girl is a dragon slayer?"

"Yes, she's the sky dragon slayer. That magic she used to heal you earlier was sky magic." Jellal said making Natsu's eyes widen.

Natsu turned to look at Wendy with wide eyes.

"Another one just like me," Natsu whispered. "Maybe she'll know something?"

"Hey you gonna keep talking to yourself?" Jellal called out. "Come help me start this fire."

"Oh," Natsu said as he walked over and flicked a small flame into the bundle of wood.

"I told you who I was, now tell me who you two are." Natsu said as both boys plopped down next to the fire.

"I'm Jellal Fernandes, and that's Wendy Marvel." Jellal said as he stole a quick glance at Wendy.

"So do you use magic?" Natsu asked earning a glare from Jellal.

"That is none of your concern," Jellal said as he continued to glare at Natsu.

"Whatever, I don't care if you use magic or not." Natsu said as he crossed his arms and stared into the fire.

Both Natsu and Jellal sat around the fire for seemed like hours. Neither boy saying a word as they stared into the flames. They were both surprised when Wendy walked up rubbing her head.

"What happened," Wendy asked as she sat between Natsu and Jellal.

"You fell unconscious when you finished healing him," Jellal explained as Wendy turned to look at Natsu.

"So who are you?" Wendy said with a smile.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel," Natsu said returning the smile. "And Jellal told me something pretty cool about you."

"Oh, what?" Wendy asked in a confused tone.

"He told me you're a dragon slayer," Natsu said making Wendy's eyes widen.

"Yeah I'm the sky dragon slayer," Wendy said earning a grin from Natsu.

"Well Wendy you're looking at the fire dragon slayer," Natsu said as he produced at small flame in his hand.

"Y-You're a dragon slayer t-too?" Wendy asked as she scooted closer to Natsu.

"Yep!" Natsu said with a toothy grin.

Instantly Natsu was tackled to the ground. He looked to see Wendy hovering over him, tears in her eyes.

"I can't believe I found another dragon slayer," Wendy said as she hugged Natsu.

"O-Okay calm down," Natsu said as he awkwardly patted Wendy's back.

"Have you seen or heard anything about Grandeeney?" Wendy asked with hopeful eyes.

"Grandeeney?" Natsu repeated with a confused look on his face.

"My dragon. She disappeared five days ago, and I've been searching for her ever since." Wendy said as fresh tears built up in her eyes. "I don't why she left, or where she went to. I haven't found a single clue about where she might be."

"You're dragon is missing too," Natsu said in a shocked tone. "My dragon, Igneel, went missing five days ago too. I've been looking for him for days"

"Your dragon is missing too," Wendy breathed out. "That can't be a coincidence."

Jellal watched as Natsu and Wendy bounced ideas and theories off each other. He smiled as both dragon slayers started to connect.

_"Looks like you've found a new friend Wendy," _Jellal thought as Wendy and Natsu both hugged each other again.

"Well you two it's getting late," Jellal said as he stood up. "We better get to sleep soon so you two can continue your searches."

"He's right," Natsu said as he released Wendy from the hug.

"Yeah," Wendy said as she walked towards her sleeping bag.

But when Natsu walked towards where the sleeping bags were, he spotted a problem. There were only two sleeping bags.

"Uh where am I sleeping?" Natsu asked as he watched Wendy crawl into her sleeping bag.

"Here," Jellal said as he tossed Natsu a blanket and pillow.

"Gee thanks," Natsu said sarcastically as he laid down near Wendy.

Wendy watched as Natsu grumbled to himself, as he laid down on the hard ground.

"Uh Natsu?" Wendy said shyly.

"Yeah Wendy," Natsu said as he turned to face the young girl.

"Y-You can share with me." Wendy said as she scooted back, making more room for Natsu.

"Are you sure Wendy?" Natsu asked as he sat up.

"Yeah it's fine," Wendy replied as her cheeks turned red in embarassment.

"Okay thanks Wendy," Natsu said as he crawled into the bag next to Wendy. "Goodnight Wendy."

"Goodnight Natsu, Jellal." Wendy said as she closed her eyes.

Natsu was surprised when he felt Wendy snuggle up closer to him.

_"So warm," _Wendy thought as she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

The next day Natsu, Wendy, and Jellal made their way through the forest. They eventually found themselves on a main trail.

"Well I guess this is where we head our separate ways," Jellal said, earning a frown from Wendy.

"Are you sure you have to leave us Natsu?" Wendy asked in a sad tone.

"Yeah I gotta look for Igneel, and you have to look for Grandeeney." Natsu said with a toothy grin. "But don't worry we'll see each other again some day."

"You promise," Wendy said with a hopeful look.

"Of course, and I always keep my promises." Natsu said, as Wendy ran up and hugged him.

"I'm gonna miss you Natsu," Natsu said as tears formed in her eyes.

"I'll miss you too Wendy," Natsu said as he hugged the young girl. "And I guess I'll miss you too Jellal."

"Tch, whatever." Jellal said as he turned his head. But he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He was gonna miss the fire dragon slayer as well.

Wendy released Natsu from the hug, and he smiled down at the small dragon slayer.

"If I hear anything about Grandeeney or Igneel I'll let you know." Natsu said as he patted Wendy's head.

"Thanks, and I'll do the same for you." Wendy said with a smile.

"Well I'm off," Natsu said as he started to walk down the path. "I'm sure we'll see each other again someday."

"Goodbye Natsu!" Wendy called out as she waved at Natsu.

"See you around pinkie!" Jellal said with a smirk on his face.

Jellal quickly ducked as a fireball flew over his head.

"What did I say about calling me pinkie!" Natsu exclaimed as he glared at Jellal.

"I thought you were leaving," Jellal said with a grin as he stood back up.

"Yeah I'm leaving to get away from your annoying ass!" Natsu yelled as he turned to leave again. "You're cool though Wendy."

"That guy," Jellal said with a smile as he watched Natsu walk off in the opposite direction. "Come on Wendy let's go."

"Okay," Wendy said as she followed after Jellal. But she took one last glance at Natsu's retreating form. His words echoing in her head.

_"We'll see each other again someday. I always keep my promises." _

Wendy smiled as she walked behind Jellal.

_"I can't wait until we meet again Natsu," _Wendy thought as she sped up to walk next to Jellal.

* * *

(July 16th, X777)

After another four days of searching, Natsu was still empty handed. His search had taken him out of the forest, and into the surrounding mountains. As Natsu climbed a particular slope, he felt the air start to crackle with electricity. His hair stood up, and he could feel the static electricity in the air. Then the smell hit him. It wasn't quite Igneel's scent, but it was close to it. Whatever was ahead was definitely a dragon.

When Natsu climbed over the crest of the slope he saw it. There near a large cave was a massive dragon. It's body was covered in constantly flowing electricity. The dragon wasn't quite Igneel's size, but it was still towered over Natsu.

Natsu stared at the dragon in awe. Finally after over a week of searching, he had found something. Building up his courage, Natsu approached the dragon. As Natsu drew closer the dragon slowly turned its head towards the small boy.

"Hmm a child?" The dragon said as it sniffed the air. "And you have the scent of a dragon slayer. Are you here to kill me boy?"

"N-No," Natsu said sheepishly as he stopped in front of the dragon. "I just wanted to ask you some questions."

"Oh? What could a child like you possibly want to ask me?" The dragon said as it lowered its head to Natsu's level.

"D-Do you know where my father is?" Natsu asked, earning a grunt from the lightning dragon.

"And who might your father be?" The dragon asked with its face inches from Natsu's

"Igneel."

The dragon gasped and stared at Natsu wide eyed.

"You were raised by Igneel, the king of the fire dragons?" The dragon asked in a shocked tone.

"Yes, now do you know where Igneel might be?" Natsu asked with a hopeful look.

The dragon sighed when he saw Natsu's hopeful face. He knew where Igneel was, but he couldn't tell the boy where Igneel truly was.

"I'm sorry child, but I don't know where Igneel is." The dragon said, causing Natsu's hopeful look to drop.

"Oh, okay then," Natsu said as he turned to leave. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

"Wait boy!" The dragon called out, stopping Natsu in his tracks.

"What?" Natsu asked as he turned to face the dragon.

"My name is Valinor, and I am the king of the lightning dragons," Valinor said, making Natsu's eyes widen. "And I have a proposition for you."

"Proposition?" Natsu repeated with a confused look on his face.

"Yes, a proposal or request," Valinor explained.

"Okay I'm listening." Natsu said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Valinor leaned forward and grinned at Natsu.

"How would you like to learn lightning dragon slayer magic?" Valinor said with a grin as he watched Natsu's face.

"W-What?" Natsu replied in complete shock.

"Do wish to learn lightning dragon slayer magic? I'm sure it will help you on your quest to find Igneel. But be warned, I won't go easy on you during your training. So what do you say boy, are you up to the challenge?" Valinor said, as a look determination spread across Natsu's face.

"Natsu Dragneel never backs down from a challenge!" Natsu exclaimed as he pounded a fist to his chest. "I'll take you up on your offer, and I'll master lightning dragon slayer magic."

"Very well then Natsu. Follow me, and let's get started." Valinor said as he walked back into his cave.

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu yelled as he chased after Valinor.

* * *

(October 16th X777)

After three months of intense training, Natsu had managed to master lightning dragon slayer magic. He was now able to use his fire and lightning magic interchangeably. But he wasn't able to figure out how to combine them yet. During these three months Natsu and Valinor became rather close. Valinor had become a sort of older bother to Natsu. They had their spats and fights, but they would always work past them. For three months Natsu was almost inseparable from Valinor, rarely leaving the dragons side. But that all changed when Natsu awoke on October 16th X777.

The first thing Natsu noticed when he awoke was the lack of static electricity in the air. Then there was no sign of Valinor's scent. Natsu shot up to find that the dragon was no longer in the cave with him.

"No, no, no, no!" Natsu repeated as he bolted onto his feet.

He was instantly searching around the cave for Valinor. But he came up empty handed, it was just like Igneel.

"Not again," Natsu said as he fell to his knees. "Why did this have to happen again?"

Natsu held up both hands. One sparking with electricity, and the other engulfed in flames.

"Where did you both go?" Natsu whispered as tears built up in his eyes.

Natsu suddenly stood up and quickly wiped his eyes.

"No I won't cry!" Natsu said as he started to make his way down the mountain. "Valinor taught me his magic so I could be stronger. I'm gonna find you both, I'll never give up on either of you."

_"Father, big brother I will find you both!" _Natsu thought as he made his way towards the nearest town.

After almost two hours, Natsu found himself in a village near the mountains. Natsu walked through the village looking for a shop to buy supplies. He took out a small bag where he kept his money and looked inside.

"Shit!" Natsu said to himself as he spotted the handful of jewels in his bag. "I need to find away to get some more money. How the hell am I gonna do that?"

Natsu sighed and leaned against a building. Natsu tried to think of possible ways to make money, but two men walking past him caught his attention.

"Did you hear about what some Fairy Tail mages did?" One of the men asked the other.

"Yeah, I heard about that. They destroyed half a town trying to take out a couple dark mages!" The other man replied in an excited tone.

"Then they went on to wipe out the guild the dark mages came from." The first man said with a laugh.

"No wonder they're the strongest guild in Fiore. No one can stop Fairy Tail." The second man said with a grin.

_"A guild huh? That would be a great way to earn money, and if I'm gonna join a guild why not go for the best?" _Natsu thought as he pushed himself off the building.

"Hey old man!" Natsu called out to the two men.

"Huh?" The first man said as he turned around. "What do you want brat?"

"Where is the Fairy Tail guild located?" Natsu asked with a smirk.

"It's in Magnolia due north of here," The second man said as he pointed to the mountains ahead. "It's a couple miles past those mountains. By foot it's about a weeks travel."

"Thanks old man!" Natsu said as he ran past both men.

"Why did you want to know kid?!" The second man called out.

"I'm going to become a Fairy Tail mage!" Natsu called out with a grin.

The two men stood dumbfounded as they watched Natsu sprint in the direction of Magnolia.

* * *

(October 18th X777)

After two days of walking Natsu had neared the mountains that would lead him towards Magnolia. But the pink-haired dragon slayer had no idea how to get over the mountains safely. As Natsu approached the mountains he spotted a large manor in the distance. Deciding that asking for would be a good idea, Natsu approached the large house. Natsu was blown away at the size of the house, and the grounds surrounding the manor.

Natsu walked up to the door and knocked a few times. After a few moments a woman in a maid's outfit answered the door.

"Oh! What can I do for you young man?" The woman asked as she looked down at Natsu.

"I was wondering if you knew a way through the mountains over there. I'm on my way to Magnolia." Natsu said as he pointed to the mountains behind him.

"Well there should be a path that leads straight through the mountains. I can fetch a map for you." The maid explained, earning a toothy grin from Natsu.

"Thanks that would be a big help!" Natsu said as the maid went to fetch the map.

A few minutes later the woman returned, and handed Natsu a map of the surrounding area.

"Here you go young man," The maid said in a pleasant tone.

"Thank you!" Natsu said just as his stomach growled loudly. "Uh would it be too much trouble to ask for something to eat?"

The maid looked at Natsu who was smiling, and rubbing the back of his in embarassment. She couldn't possibly just push this hungry kid away.

"Alright," The maid said as she opened the door for Natsu to enter. "But after you eat you have to leave."

"Sure thing," Natsu said as he stepped into the large home.

The maid led Natsu into a large dinning room. She told him to sit at the table, while she mad him something to eat.

As Natsu sat at the table, his eyes wandered the room. The table was massive, and could easily seat 60 people. There were pictures and paintings lining the walls, and elaborate decorations adorned the table. But when Natsu turned his head towards the doorway leading into the dinning room, he spotted someone poking their head through. It was a blonde-haired girl. She had big brown eyes, and looked to be about his age.

"Hi!" Natsu said excitedly as he waved at the girl.

"Who are you?" The girl asked as she stepped into the dinning room.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel," The pink-haired boy said with a massive grin. Natsu stuck out his hand for her to shake. "Who are you?"

The girl eyed Natsu before she shook his hand.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia," Lucy said with a small smile as she sat next to Natsu. "So what are you doing out here?"

"I'm heading to Magnolia," Natsu said with a smile. "I'm gonna join Fairy Tail, and become a guild mage!"

Lucy looked at Natsu wide-eyed. An image of the Fairy Tail mage that had saved her flashed into her mind.

"Hey are you alright?" Natsu asked his face inches from Lucy's.

"U-Uh I'm f-fine," Lucy stuttered out as her face turned beat read.

"You're weird," Natsu said as he sat back in his seat. This made a frown spread across Lucy's face. "But you're pretty too."

Lucy's face turned even redder at Natsu's comment.

"W-What?" Lucy squeaked out, her face bright red in embarassment.

"I said you're pretty," Natsu said as he got a confused look on his face. "Was I not supposed to say that."

"N-No it's okay. Thank you for the compliment." Lucy said with a small smile.

"Sure thing," Natsu said with a grin.

Both children never noticed the maid standing in the door way. She watched the two children talk and laugh with a smile on her face.

_"Looks like you've made your first real friend Lucy-sama," _The maid thought with a smile on her face.

"Here you go young man," The maid said as she handed a plate of food to Natsu. "Oh Lucy-sama it's so nice to see you greeting our guest."

Lucy just blushed, while Natsu dug into his food. After eating Natsu stood at the manor's front door ready to leave.

"Well I'm off again," Natsu said as he opened the door. "It was nice meeting you Lucy!"

"It was nice meeting you too Natsu. Maybe we'll see each other again some day." Lucy said with a smile and a small blush.

"Of course we'll see each other again!" Natsu said with a grin. "You ever want to find me just head to Fairy Tail!"

With that Natsu ran out the door, map in hand, on his way towards the mountains.

_"Fairy Tail, huh?" _Lucy thought as she watched Natsu run off.

Later that night Lucy was in the bath with a very annoyed Aquarius.

"What did I say about summoning while you bathe brat." Aquarius said with a tic mark on her head. "I'm not some bath toy."

"No I just wanted to talk with you." Lucy said as she looked into the water.

"Oh, what did you want to talk about?" Aquarius asked in an annoyed tone.

"Well I met a boy today," Lucy said as her face turned red again.

This got Aquarius' attention. The celestial spirit smirked and leaned closer to Lucy.

"Go on, tell me everything about him." Aquarius said with an evil smirk. Already the celestial spirit was thinking of ways to tease the poor girl.

* * *

(October 20th X777)

"Finally I'm past those damn mountains!" Natsu exclaimed as he walked through the forest.

The pink-haired dragon slayer then pulled out his map.

"Okay it looks like I'm about another days travel from Magnolia." Natsu said just as his stomach started to growl. "Ugh I'm starving!"

Just then the smell of cooking meat flooded Natsu's nose.

"FOOD!" Natsu exclaimed as he started to sprint towards where the smell was coming from.

He eventually found a small fire with some meat roasting over it. Natsu's mouth watered as he inched towards the fire.

_"I'll just eat this real quick then leave before anyone notices." _Natsu thought as he picked up one of the pieces of meat.

But right before he could take a bite, Natsu felt a cold blade press against his throat.

"If you want to live, you'll put that down." A feminine voice said from behind him.

"O-Okay," Natsu said as put the meat back.

"Now leave," The person said harshly as they pushed Natsu away.

"Wait, please I'm starving," Natsu said as he turned around.

But what Natsu saw made him stop dead in his tracks. Standing with a small sword pointed at him, was a girl with beautiful scarlet red hair. She was wearing a tattered light blue dress, and she had an eye patch over her right eye.

"Maybe we started off on the wrong foot," Natsu said as he held out his hand. "I'm Natsu Dragneel!"

The girl looked at Natsu suspiciously before her sword suddenly disappeared into thin air. She then reached out and shook Natsu's hand.

"I'm Erza Scarlet," The red-head said as she released Natsu's hand.

"Was that magic you just used?" Natsu asked in a shocked tone.

"Yeah it's called re-equip magic. It allows me to change weapons and armor on the fly." Erza said as she held out her hand, her sword suddenly reappearing in her grasp.

"That's so cool!" Natsu exclaimed as he held out his hands. "I'm a mage too."

Suddenly Natsu's hand where engulfed in flames. Then the flames died down, and were replaced with electricity.

"What type of magic is that?" Erza asked, earning a grin from Natsu.

"It's fire and lightning dragon slayer magic!" Natsu replied.

"That's impressive," Erza said as she sat next to the fire. "So what are you doing out here?"

"I'm heading to Magnolia, and I'm gonna join Fairy Tail." Natsu said as he sat across from Erza.

"Really, I'm heading there too." Erza said, making Natsu go wide-eyed.

"Then we should totally go together!" Natsu exclaimed with a massive smile.

Erza couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face.

"Alright I guess we can head there together." Erza said earning a cheer from Natsu.

"Sweet we're gonna be great friends, I can already tell!" Just then Natsu's stomach growled again.

Natsu's face turned red in embarassment.

"Uh do you think I could have some of your food?" Natsu asked nervously.

"Sure thing," Erza said as he handed Natsu a piece of meat.

"You're an angel Erza!" Natsu yelled as he took a massive bite out of his food.

Erza simply blushed at Natsu's word, and started to eat her own food.

"So," Natsu said breaking the silence. "What happened to your right eye?"

Erza visibly flinched at Natsu's question.

"I don't want to talk about it." Erza replied in a sad tone.

"Alright," Natsu said in a confused tone. "If you do ever want to talk about it I'm all ears."

Erza looked up at Natsu's smiling face, and her mood brightened slightly.

"Thanks Natsu, I may take you up on that offer some day." Erza said with a small smile.

Soon after eating, Natsu and Erza were back on the path towards Magnolia. Natsu was right, Erza and him became friends rather quickly. Erza liked Natsu's hyper and carefree attitude, while Natsu liked Erza's stern but loving attitude.

After another day of travel, the duo had finally made it to Magnolia. Asking around they eventually found themselves in front of the Fairy Tail guild hall.

"We're here," Natsu said as he stared at the building in wonder.

"Yeah," Erza breathed out.

"Well it's now or never," Natsu said as he put his hands on the door. "Wanna do it at the same time?"

"Sure," Erza said with a smile as she place her hands on the door as well.

"3, 2, 1, push!" Natsu said as Erza and him started to push the door open.

They both pushed the door open, and were instantly meet with the loud sounds of the guild hall. Laughter, arguments, and fights echoed throughout the guild. But everything stopped as soon as the doors opened. Everyone in the guild turned to look at who had just walked into the room. Silence filled the room as Natsu and Erza stood awkwardly near the doorway.

"Oh what do we have here?" A short man asked as he walked up to Natsu and Erza.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel and this is Erza Scarlet," Natsu said with a toothy grin. "And we're here to join this guild."

"Well son my name is Makarov, and I'm the master of this guild," Makarov said with a smile. "So I welcome you to Fairy Tail my children!"

The entire guild let out a cheer as Natsu and Erza were lead to get their guild marks. They both could tell they were gonna love it here.

* * *

**And done! That was the first chapter. I hope you guys ****like it, because I loved writing this chapter. For Valinor I imagined him like Atlas Flame, but instead of fire it's electricity. So what did you guys think. Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW, and PM any ideas you might have for this story. Remember I'm willing to add ONE more girl Natsu's pairing it's up to you guys to suggest girls. So until next time I'm outta here. **

**P.S. I'm currently writing three other stories along with this one. So until one of those other stories is finished, this one is gonna have to go on the back burners for a bit. I may update it occasionally. But until I finish one of my other stories don't expect many updates from this one. But don't worry I'm not gonna give up on this story. Also feel free to check out my other stories if you want to. **


	2. Chapter 2 Happiness and Tragedy

**Hey guys! Since I got some great feedback from the last chapter I decided to post the next chapter early. The fourth girl in Natsu's harem is still undecided. So I decided to make a poll. If you want, head over to my profile and cast your vote for the ****fourth girl in Natsu's harem. I'll post the results next chapter. Also I just started reading the Tartarus arc in the manga, and holy shit is it awesome so far. I can't wait to see this arc animated, I can already see the feels coming. So without further ado let's get to the fic. **

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

(October 28th X777)

Natsu and Erza had been Fairy Tail mages for about a week, and they were adjusting rather well. The dragon slayer and the re-equip mage had quickly formed a team, and went on their first mission together. It wasn't a particularly hard mission. Before they left Erza had changed into a new outfit. She now wore a white long sleeve shirt and skirt with dark blue leggings, and a pair brown boots with a red ribbon around her neck. She also now sported an armor chest plate, and a sword strapped to her hip. Natsu and Erza were tasked with helping an elderly couple do various chores around their home. The mission was going great, until Natsu destroyed half the house. The dragon slayer was trying to grab the couple's cat, but the feline pounced Natsu and clawed his face. Instantly enraged, Natsu started to chase the cat throughout the house. Often using his flames and lightning to try and 'stop' the fleeing feline. The elderly couple got a good laugh out of the situation, but Erza was less than thrilled. After furiously apologizing to the couple, Erza swiftly scolded Natsu. The elderly couple was alright with the damages and paid the duo the full reward for their efforts. So when the new team returned to the guild hall, they celebrated their first successful mission together.

As Natsu and Erza sat in the guild after their first mission, Erza indulged herself in a piece of strawberry cake which Natsu noted that she was thoroughly enjoying. While Erza savored her cake, Natsu's eyes wandered to the other members of the guild. The first people Natsu saw were Wakaba and Macao.

Both men were sitting at their own table nursing their drinks. They seemed to be reminiscing their younger days, which Natsu could overhear because of his enhanced dragon slayer senses. While they were talking, they were simultaneously ogling several of the girls around the guild. Natsu didn't mind Wakaba or Macao. They were alright in his book, a little perverted, but alright none the less. Next Natsu's eyes landed on Reedus.

The pict mage was leisurely painting, and humming to himself. Natsu didn't really know what to think of Reedus. He had only spoken to the pict mage once or twice, so he really hadn't gotten a good read on Reedus. But Reedus was one of Natsu's nakama so he was cool with the dragon slayer. When Natsu turned his head, he spotted Cana and Levy.

Both girls were sitting down and playing some sort of board game. Natsu was rather intrigued by both girls magical abilities. The dragon slayer found Cana's card magic, and her ability to predict the future using tarot cards very cool. While Levy's script magic allowed her write words in the air, and whatever word she wrote would form in front of her. For example if she wrote the word fire, the word would materialize and be engulfed in flames. Levy also loved to read books, which Natsu didn't care for at all. Cana let out a cheer when she suddenly won the game, but Levy quickly called her out for using magic to cheat. As Natsu watched the exchange he frowned slightly. Even though Cana was smiling, he could tell she was hiding something from the rest of the guild. Natsu knew it had something to do with Gildarts, Fairy Tail's strongest mage. The dragon slayer had noticed how Cana would often flinch ever so slightly when Gildarts' name was mentioned. Sparing one last glance at Cana, Natsu turned his head again and spotted the Strauss siblings.

All three of them were sitting at a table together. Mirajane Strauss honestly scared the shit out of Natsu. Especially since she was glaring at Erza, who was still enjoying her cake. Both girls had almost instantly formed a fierce rivalry, each constantly trying to outdo the other. It didn't help that Mirajane was extremely strong, and had a wickedly short temper. In the short time that Natsu had been at Fairy Tail, he had lost count of the amount of times Mira had she had beat him. Thank God Erza was always quick to save him, and fend off Mira's fierce fists.

Sitting across from Mirajane was Elfman Strauss. Natsu was rather perplexed by Elfman though. The dragon slayer could tell that the take over mage was rather strong, not as strong as Mira however. But Elfman was very sensitive and timid, and was actually quite shy. Natsu couldn't think of one time he had heard Elfman raise his voice, or get angry at anyone. But Natsu could also tell that Elfman was fiercely loyal and protective of his sisters, and he would do anything to keep them safe. Next to Elfman sat the youngest Strauss sibling, Lisanna.

Natsu rather liked Lisanna. Besides Erza, Lisanna was Natsu's first friend in Fairy Tail. The young girl had quickly approached Natsu after he had gotten his guild mark, and asked if they could be friends. Natsu grinned and immediately agreed. Ever since then whenever Natsu wasn't with Erza, he was most likely with Lisanna. Sensing that someone was watching her, Lisanna turned her head to see Natsu looking at her. She smiled and waved at Natsu. The dragon slayer smiled and waved back. Turning around, Natsu saw Jet and Droy sitting at the table behind him.

Jet was practically bouncing in his seat, while Droy played with some seeds in front of him. Natsu liked Jet, but his endless energy and constant running wore Natsu out. Droy was also cool with Natsu, but the dragon slayer was baffled by Droy's magic. I mean who uses plants to fight? From what Natsu could hear, they seemed to be talking about potentially forming a team. They were arguing about potential members for their new team. Natsu heard Erza and his names mentioned as potential members, but Jet and Droy quickly realized that Erza and him were already a team. After a few more moments both Jet and Droy agreed that Levy would probably make the best addition to their team. Natsu smiled as he watched Jet and Droy make their way over to where Levy and Cana were sitting. The next person Natsu saw made his blood boil in anger. Sitting at the table across from him was Gray Fullbuster, who was in the process of removing his boxers.

Natsu and Gray had almost immediately become rivals. The dragon slayer didn't really know what it was, but something about Gray just constantly rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was the fact that Gray was an ice mage, and Natsu used fire. But it was most likely because Gray could be a smug asshole from time to time. The ice mage was constantly making little comments that would set Natsu off in an instant. Natsu couldn't count the amount of times Gray and him had fought in his short time at Fairy Tail. It would always start with Gray insulting Natsu in some way. Then Natsu would retaliate with his own insults. Their arguing would only escalate from there, eventually leading to a full on fist fight. But like with Mira, Erza would always break the two of them up. Often resulting in a severe beating as punishment for Gray, and a stern talking to from Erza for Natsu. It always surprised Natsu how Erza would rarely hit him. She may have smacked him upside the head a few times, but she never gave him the beatings she would give other guild members. She would usually just drag him away, and scold him which actually worked rather effectively. Natsu found himself apologizing rather frequently after a scolding from Erza. But Natsu swore he would never apologize to Gray, the bastard deserved everything he had coming. Gray noticed that Natsu was looking at him, and was about to make a snide comment. But Natsu just smirked and raised his arm. Twirling around Natsu's finger was Gray's boxers. The ice mage had a horrified look on his face, as he looked down to see that he was completely naked in the middle of the guild. When Gray looked back at Natsu he immediately started to glare at the dragon slayer, and demanded that Natsu return his boxers. Natsu simply grinned and engulfed his hand in flames, instantly turning Gray's boxers into a pile of ashes. The ice mage let out a surprised squeak as he raced around the guild hall in search of something to cover himself. All the while Gray cursed Natsu, and swore that he would get payback. Natsu merely laughed at Gray's misfortune, but a harsh glare from Erza instantly sobered him up. The dragon slayer knew he'd get a talking to later. Then Natsu spotted a person who absolutely made him seethe in anger. This person infuriated him even more than Gray did. Leaning against a wall neat the back of the guild was Laxus Dreyar.

A growl actually escaped Natsu's throat when he spotted Laxus. This caused Erza to look up from her piece of cake. She followed Natsu's gaze and groaned.

"Natsu please don't start anything with Laxus tonight. We've both had a long day, and I don't need to take you to the hospital." Erza said as she ate a forkful of cake.

Natsu grumbled to himself and sank into his seat. But Natsu continued to glare at Laxus. On the other side of the guild hall Laxus spotted Natsu glaring at him. Laxus merely smirked at Natsu, making the pink-haired dragon slayer furious. If Erza wasn't right in front of him, Natsu would have charged across the guild and challenged Laxus to a fight. With Gray, Natsu disliked him for numerous reasons. But there was one singular reason why Natsu despised Laxus. It was because Laxus was also a lightning dragon slayer. But Laxus wasn't a true dragon slayer like Natsu. Unlike Natsu who had learned his magic from an actual dragon. Laxus had a lacrimia in his body that allowed him to use lightning dragon slayer magic. This sole fact infuriated Natsu, to know that someone else knew the same magic as him. Natsu was constantly compelled to challenge Laxus, to try and prove that he was the better lightning dragon slayer. But Natsu wasn't even close to Laxus' level yet, so whenever Natsu challeneged Laxus he would get his ass kicked. Laxus continued to smirk at Natsu as he walked out of the guild. Natsu glared at Laxus the whole time. When Laxus exited the guild, Natsu promised himself he'd beat Laxus one day and prove that he was the better lightning dragon slayer.

"Alright Natsu let's head to bed." Erza said as she got up from her seat.

Natsu sighed before he nodded and followed after Erza. Truth be told Natsu was worn out as well, but he wasn't particularly looking forward to going to sleep. This was because Natsu and Erza had to share a bed. Since neither of them had a place to stay at the moment, they had to stay at the temporary housing in the guild hall. But since the housing area was already packed, Natsu and Erza were forced to share a room. The room wasn't very big and only had one bed. Natsu had insisted that Erza take the bed while he slept on the couch. Erza however refused to let Natsu sleep on the couch, and told him that he could share the bed with her. Natsu, although a little hesitant at first, was overjoyed that he got to sleep on the bed. But Natsu soon found out that Erza was often plagued with terrible nightmares. In the middle of the night Erza would often grab onto Natsu and hold onto him tightly. She would then mumble a few incoherent things, before a few tears would escape her left eye. The first time this happened Natsu was extremely worried, because he had no idea what to do. So he did what Igneel used to do for him when he had a bad dream. Natsu grabbed onto Erza and held her close to his body, using his natural body heat to soothe her. He then ran his fingers through her scarlet hair, and whispered kind words into her ear. After doing this for a while Erza would eventually calm down and snuggle closer to Natsu, and then she would drift off to a peaceful slumber. When Erza awoke the next morning, and found Natsu holding onto her, she let out a screech and promptly kicked him out of the bed. Natsu had quickly scrambled to his feet, and found Erza sitting on the bed blushing madly as she clutched a hand over her racing heart. Erza then yelled at Natsu for a solid five minutes straight, before she stormed out of the room. Erza had hardly spoken to him for most of the day. But after Natsu had explained what had happened, Erza blushed bright red and immediately calmed down.

"Natsu come on, I want to get some sleep!" Erza exclaimed as she grabbed Natsu's hand, and started dragging him towards their shared room.

"You'll be the only one getting any sleep." Natsu mumbled under his breath.

But Erza had still heard. So she turned around and smiled at Natsu.

"If you help me sleep tonight, we can go on any mission you want tomorrow. Then after I'll treat you to dinner. How's that sound?" Erza said, earning a cheer from Natsu.

Erza could only giggle as Natsu now dragged her towards their room. Within minutes they were in their shared bed. Erza let out a contented sigh, as Natsu wrapped his arms around her and surrounded her in his relaxing warmth.

_"Natsu, what would I do with out you?" _Erza thought with a warm smile, as she drifted off to sleep in Natsu's arms.

* * *

(July 7th X778)

It was the one year anniversary of Igneel's disappearance, and Natsu had wished to be alone. Erza was hesitant to leave him alone at first, but after Natsu explained what this meant to him she reluctantly allowed him his privacy. Natsu walked through the forests surrounding Magnolia. His thoughts were filled with memories of Igneel. It had been one year since Natsu had seen Igneel, and it made Natsu feel incredibly lonely. Now Natsu loved all his nakama at Fairy Tail, and he knew he had made the right decision in joining the guild. Natsu had even started to slightly get along with Gray. Even though he hated to admit it, Natsu knew that Gray and him actually made a pretty effective team. The few 'bonding' missions that Erza had dragged them on had turned out to be very successful. Natsu would gladly give his life to protect all his nakama. But even with all his new friends, it didn't quite replace the loneliness Natsu felt sometimes.

"Igneel," Natsu said to himself, as he leaned against a tree. Natsu slumped to the ground and closed his eyes. "I will find you Igneel, and then we can be a family again. I can introduce you to all my new friends."

A smile spread across his face as Natsu pictured all his friends meeting Igneel.

"Yeah that will be the day." Natsu said with a smile, as he drifted off to sleep against the tree.

Natsu didn't know how long he was asleep for, but he was awoke when landed on his head.

"AH! Dammit that hurt!" Natsu exclaimed, as he rubbed the bump on his head. "What the hell hit me?!"

Natsu felt a weight on his lap and looked down. The dragon slayer was surprised to see a large egg with blue markings on it sitting in his lap.

"An egg?" Natsu said as he gave the egg a few experimental taps. "I wonder what's inside it?"

Natsu tapped the egg a few more times, and it shook slightly in response.

"Whoa! I better get this to the guild. Maybe someone there will know what it is." Natsu said as he picked up the egg and raced towards Fairy Tail.

Erza stood at the request board, and scanned all the available missions. During her first year at Fairy Tail, Erza had managed to get an artificial right eye. All thanks to Porlyusica, Fairy Tail's main physician. The re-equip mage had also grown out her hair, which was now fashioned in a braided ponytail. As she stared the the available missions, Erza was surprised when someone spoke up next to her.

"Excuse me Erza, but do you know where Natsu is?"

Erza turned her head to see Lisanna standing next to her. The youngest Strauss sibling was staring up at Erza with hopeful eyes.

"I'm sorry Lisanna I don't know where Natsu is." Erza said as she grabbed a particular request and read its contents. "Natsu requested that he be left alone today. So I was planning to go on an easy mission to pass the time. Would you like to come with me?"

Lisanna looked momentarily sad, but she quickly put on a smile.

"That's alright Erza, I just wanted to see if Natsu wanted to play with me." Lisanna said as she turned to head back towards her brother and sister.

Erza sighed as she went notify Master Makarov that she would be going on a mission. But before she had reached the master, the doors to the guild were kicked open. Everyone turned to see Natsu running into the guild carrying a massive egg.

"Natsu what are you doing back so soon? I thoughts you wanted to be alone today?" Erza asked as Natsu placed the egg on a table. "And what is that thing?"

"I...don't...know," Natsu panted out, as he caught his breath. Taking a deep breath Natsu started speaking again. "I was sleeping under a tree when this thing fell on my head. I think it's some sort of egg. I brought it here hoping that someone can tell me what it is."

Everyone in the guild crowded around the egg, and started to examine it. But no one had any idea what the egg could be, or what could be in it.

"Well I'm keeping it," Natsu said as he carried to egg towards Erza and his room.

"Natsu what are you doing?" Erza asked as she walked next to Natsu.

"I'm bringing the egg into our room, so that we can watch it." Natsu said as he opened the door to their room.

But Natsu was surprised when Erza immediately closed the door before he could enter the room.

"Natsu you're not keeping that egg in our room." Erza said in a stern voice.

"Why not?" Natsu asked as he reached for the door handle again. But Erza quickly slapped his hand away.

"Because we don't know what is in that egg. We don't need some dangerous monster hatching in the middle of the guild." Erza said, earning a pout from Natsu. "I will help you raise this egg. But it is not to be kept in the guild. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Erza," Natsu said in a defeated tone.

"Don't be that way," Erza said as she placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "We can find another place to raise this egg." Erza then looked past Natsu to see Lisanna looking at them. "Plus I bet Lisanna would love to help us."

"Really?" Natsu asked as he turned to look at Lisanna.

"Of course! She was even asking where you were earlier, because she wanted to play with you." Erza explained as she started to usher Natsu towards Lisanna. "Let's ask her if she wants to come with us."

"O-Okay," Natsu stuttered out as Erza pushed him towards Lisanna's table.

Lisanna was surprised to see Erza pushing Natsu towards her.

"H-Hey Lisanna," Natsu as his face turned red in embarassment. "I'm sorry about not being here earlier."

"It's alright Natsu," Lisanna said with a smile.

Seeing Lisanna smile made Natsu smile as well.

"I was wondering if you wanted to help me and Erza raise this egg." Natsu said as he lifted the egg onto the table.

"Sure I'd love to help Natsu," Lisanna said as she hopped down from her seat. "It's like we'll be one big family."

"Well that settles it, we'll all work together." Erza said as started to drag Natsu and Lisanna towards the door. "So Natsu do you have any idea where we could raise the egg?"

Natsu closed his eyes and thought carefully. After a few moments his eyes shot open.

"I got the perfect spot!" Natsu exclaimed as he raced out of the guild with Erza and Lisanna hot on his heels. "If we hurry we can get there in time!"

After almost twenty minutes Natsu had arrived at the perfect place to watch the egg. The sun was just setting when the group arrived.

"Why did you take use here Natsu?" A slightly winded Erza asked as Lisanna and her caught up.

"Look," Natsu said as he pointed to the setting Sun.

Erza and Lisanna both turned around to see a beautiful sunset painting the horizon behind them.

"It's beautiful," Erza breathed out as she gazed at the brilliant colors of the sunset.

"Yeah it's amazing," Lisanna agreed in awe of the picturesque horizon.

"This is the perfect place Natsu." Erza said with a smile as she patted Natsu on the back.

Natsu, Erza, and Lisanna all watched the sunset together that night. The next day Natsu had returned, and had built a small hut made out of straw on the spot where they had watched the sunset. Everyday for two months Natsu, Erza, and Lisanna would take turns watching the egg at their little straw hut. During these two months Natsu, Erza, and Lisanna became even closer. Just like Lisanna had said, the three children become a sort of family to the egg. But it was on September 10th X778 that something amazing happened.

It was Natsu's turn to watch the egg. As he sat in the straw hut, warming the egg. He suddenly noticed that the egg was shaking slightly, and had several small cracks along it's shell. So with speed that would make Jet jealous, Natsu grabbed the egg and raced back towards Fairy Tail (Almost dropping the egg several times along the way).

Everyone heard Natsu before he even reached the guild. His screams could be heard across Magnolia. But when he burst through the doors, no one was expecting him to be carrying a glowing egg into the guild.

"IT'S ABOUT TO HATCH!" Natsu yelled as he raced to a table in the center of the guild.

Within seconds the entire guild had surrounded the table. Everyone was holding their breath as they watched the egg start to shake violently. Suddenly a blinding white light filled the guild. When the light finally died down everyone turned to see what lied within the egg. No one was expecting to see what they saw.

Floating a few feet above the egg was a small blue cat, with white wings coming out of it's back. The cat looked around the guild for a moment before it raised it's right paw, uttering a single word.

"Aye!" The little blue cat cheered.

Everyone stared at the floating blue cat in awe, until the entire guild yelled out at the same time.

"HE'S SO CUTE!"

Instantly the cat was surrounded by people trying to pet him. Somehow the little blue cat had eventually made it's way into Natsu's arms. The cat had fallen asleep from all the excitement, and was curled up in a ball in Natsu's arms.

Natsu was surprised when Erza came up and started to pull on his ear.

"What did I say about bringing the egg to the guild?" Erza asked in her scolding voice. "You're just lucky this little guy wasn't some murderous monster." A smile then spread across Erza's face. "So what are you gonna call him?"

A thoughtful expression spread across Natsu's face, as he tried to think of a name. He looked around the guild looking for some sort of inspiration. The dragon slayer noticed the jovial and upbeat mode the whole guild was in. Then like an attack from Laxus inspiration hit him.

"Happy," Natsu finally said as he smiled down at the small blue cat.

"It's perfect," Erza said with a smile of her own.

Later on that night, as the Sun was setting. Natsu, Erza, and Lisanna once again found themselves sitting together and watching the sunset. But this time a fourth member was with them. Happy was curled up asleep in front of the three children.

"He's so cute," Lisanna said as she gently petted Happy's head.

"Yeah," Erza said as she gazed at Happy with a warm look. "Looks like our little family is complete."

"I hope we can be like this forever." Natsu said as he gazed at the setting Sun.

* * *

(October 16th X782)

Natsu stood in front of a small grave in front of the straw hut he had built. Silent tears fell from his eyes, as he stared at the tombstone. The grave belonged to one of his best friends, Lisanna Strauss.

The youngest Strauss sibling had tragically died on a mission. She was killed when her older brother, Elfman, had lost control over one of his take overs. Elfman than went berserk, and started to attack Mirajane. Lisanna had stepped in front of Elfman and tried to reason with him. But he was too far gone, and attacked Lisanna.

Elfman and Mirajane hadn't been to the guild since Lisanna died. They were both a wreck, but in different ways. Elfman was constantly crying, and blaming himself for killing Lisanna. Mirajane on the other hand shed few tears, instead she became distant and rarely talked to anyone.

Lisanna's death also hit the guild hard as well. The guild was no longer its old lively self. The atmosphere was thick with sadness. No one went on missions, they just stayed at the guild and grieved for the loss of their nakama.

Natsu and Happy didn't attend Lisanna's funeral. Instead he spent the whole day at the straw hut he had built. He spent three whole days up at the hut, grieving in his own way. The only people who had attempted to speak with him were Erza and surprisingly Gray. They both had attempted to get Natsu to return to the guild. But he had simply told them he would return when he was ready. On the third day Natsu had finally returned to guild. With a blank face he walked up to Elfman, who sitting at a table silently sobbing to himself. Elfman looked up with tear filled eyes to see Natsu staring at him.

"N-Natsu what do you want?" Elfman asked as he tried to wipe away his tears.

"Can we please move Lisanna's grave to the hill overlooking Magnolia? The place where we helped raise Happy." Natsu asked with a straight face.

Elfman looked like he was about to protest. But Natsu said something that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Please it's what Lisanna would want."

When Elfman looked at Natsu, he could tell that the dragon slayer was desperately fighting off tears. So not wanting to cause anymore pain, Elfman simply nodded his head.

"Thank you," Natsu said as he turned to leave. But before Natsu left, he turned to Elfman one more time. "Please don't blame yourself for Lisanna's death. It wasn't your fault. Lisanna wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

Elfman's eyes widened as he watched Natsu walk out of the guild, with Happy slowly flying behind him. Fresh tears formed in Elfman's eyes as he placed his head in his hands.

Later that evening Natsu and Happy had carried Lisanna's tombstone up to the straw hut. Natsu stood staring at the grave for what seemed like hours. The dragon slayer was surprised to feel and armored hand land on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Erza standing behind him. Natsu could see that her left cheek was tear stained, and he could see that fresh tears were forming in her left eye.

"Erza it hurts so bad," Natsu said as he chocked back a sob.

"I know," Erza said as she grabbed Natsu's head and gently held against her armor clad chest.

They both stood like this for a while. Both silently crying, as Erza held Natsu close like he used to do with her. Erza was surprised when she heard soft sobs coming from behind them. She turned her head to see Elfman behind them. The Sun was setting behind him, as he stood there. His face was still heavily bandaged with his right eye completely covered. Natsu knew that Elfman had been approaching so he didn't bother turning around.

"I'm so sorry... I...I killed Lisanna..." Elfman said as he chocked back a sob. "I should have brought you with us Natsu! Then none of this would have..."

Elfman was suddenly cut off by Natsu.

"Quit it already! I already told you to stop blaming yourself. If you keep crying like this forever, that ain't gonna make Lisanna smile will it? Lisanna..." Natsu said as he started to shake slightly. "She was always smiling, no matter what. She was smiling until the very end. I'm sure that's the way she was! That's Lisanna! It's the sad times when she smiled even more! Isn't that what they call being a man?!" Natsu yelled as he finally turned to face Elfman, tears flowing from his eyes.

Elfman went wide-eyed at Natsu's words.

"A man..." Elfman said to himself.

"Come on Natsu let's get you home." Erza said as she started to walk Natsu towards his home that he shared with Happy.

_"Natsu I promise you'll __never have to feel like this ever again." _Erza thought as she held Natsu close.

Neither of them noticed Mirajane leaning against a tree. She had been silently listening the whole time.

_"Natsu, thank you for everything you've done for my family, especially Lisanna. I don't think I can ever repay you." _Mira thought as a single tear fell from her left eye.

* * *

(April 20th X784)

In the two years since Lisanna's death, the guild had bounced back. Fairy Tail was once again back to it's lively self once again. But the wounds of Lisanna's death were still evident. Mirajane was no longer an active mage, instead she preferred to serve drinks at the guilds bar. Elfman, while loud and boisterous, was now far more protective of Mirajane. But aside from that everything was largely the same. Natsu still fought with Gray, and constantly challenged Laxus whenever he was in the guild. Erza still loved strawberry cake, and went on missions with Natsu. Cana still drank outrageous amounts of alcohol. Levy was still a bookworm, and was rarely seen without a new novel. Jet and Droy still bickered and argued over who Levy liked more. Reedus, although much heavier, stilled hummed to himself as he painted. Macao and Wakaba still reminisced about their younger days.

Everything had pretty much returned to normal in Fairy Tail. Except for Natsu and Mirajane's relationship. Natsu used to fear Mira, but after Lisanna's death they became rather close. They both consoled each other, and along with Erza helped each other get over Lisanna's death. Because of this Natsu and Mira had become very close. Like with Lisanna, whenever Natsu wasn't with Erza he was at the bar chatting with Mira. It was during one chats at the bar that Natsu would receive some life chaining news.

"Hey Natsu!"

A guild member who's name Natsu could't remember came running up to him.

"Yeah, what is it?" Natsu asked as he turned away from his conversation with Mira and Erza.

"I heard some rumors about a fire breathing salamander near the port town of Hargeon. It might be Igneel."

Natsu was out of the guild within seconds, with Happy hot on his trail. Erza and Mira smiled as they watched Natsu race out of the guild.

_"Igneel please be you," _Natsu thought as he frantically packed his bags.

* * *

**And another chapter down. I hope you all like this chapter, because I honestly loved writing it. I really wanted to show Erza and Natsu's close relationship in this chapter. The next chapter will start the beginnings of the cannon arcs. Now I'm not a NaLi shipper, but even I know that Natsu and Lisanna defiantly had something when they were kids. I tried to show that this chapter. So remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW I NEEDS THEM, PM me ideas for this story, and remember to vote for the fourth girl in Natsu's harem. Just go to my profile and vote in the poll. Also this story will be going on the back burners for a while. So don't get worried if you don't see an update for a while. I just wanted to get one more chapter out, because of all the awesome feedback I got last chapter. So just be patient and another chapter will come eventually. So until next time I'm outta here.**


	3. Chapter 3 The Fated Reunion

**Wow you guys are totally awesome. Almost 150 follower/favorites and over 50 reviews, and we're not even on the third chapter yet! So I want to thank you all for supporting this story. This chapter will mark the beginning of the cannon arcs, and since I'm going off cannon events I should be able to ****make these chapters much longer. For shorter arcs I might do the entire arc in one or more chapters. But for the longer arcs(i.e. Grand Magic Games Arc) I will likely split those into several slightly shorter chapters. Also a quick question, would you guys want me to do the anime filler arcs (i.e. Daphne Arc), filler episodes, OVAs, or makes chapters? I'll create another poll, and you guys tell me what you want to see(you can choose up to 4 options at once). Before I get to the chapter I'll tell you guys the results of the poll for Natsu's fourth girl. **

**(Poll Results, out of 60 voters) **

**Winner: Mirajane- 27 votes (Not too surprising)**

**Second Place: Flare- 20 votes (This one completely shocked me)**

**Third Place: Lisanna- 17 votes (Thought she would have more)**

**Fourth Place: Juvia- 13 votes (Another shocker)**

**Fifth/Sixth Place: Milianna/****Yukino- 8 votes**

**Seventh/Eighth Place: Levy/Ultear- 7 Votes**

**Ninth Place: Cana- 4 votes**

**Tenth Place: Cheria- 1 vote**

**Last Place: Kagura- 0 votes (No love for Kagura :( well I added her and Cheria late, so it was expected)**

**So the big winner is Mirajane, which is absolutely no surprise to me. That means the fourth girl will be Mirajane! But since Flare got so many votes, and since I love her character after the Sun Village arc, I will add her into Natsu's harem as well. So the official harem is now Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Mirajane, and Flare. Sorry if your picks didn't make it, but the people have spoken. Now with all of that out of the ways, let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail :(**

* * *

(Two Days Later, Hargeon Town)

"Ugh I'm never riding on a train ever again." Natsu groaned out, as he laid on the floor of the train. His face was green as his motion sickness started to overwhelm him.

"You say that every time we're on a train, Natsu." Happy said, as he stood over the sick dragon slayer. The blue cat sighed, and put his paws on his hips. "If Erza were here, she would have been able help with this."

"Ugh is that guy gonna be ok?" The conductor asked, as he scratched his head.

"Aye!" Happy replied with a smile, as he turned to face the conductor. "This happens to Natsu all the time. Just give him a minute."

After a few moments Natsu managed to drag himself up, and lean out the train's window.

"AH! Fresh air!" Natsu exclaimed, as he inhaled deeply.

"Come on Natsu!" Happy cheered, as he stepped off the train. "If that tip was correct than the Salamander should be in this town."

"Give me five minutes Happy." Natsu groaned out, as he suddenly dry heaved. "I think I might actually barf."

Suddenly the train started to move again, with Natsu still on it.

"W-What the hell is going on?!" Natsu screamed, as surge of motion sickness hit him. "Happy! Get me off this fucking thing!"

Happy just stood by and watched the train depart.

"Welp would you look at that, the train's already departing." Happy said, as Natsu started to disappear off into the distance. "Bye Natsu!"

"You little piece of HMPH!" Natsu suddenly clamped his hands over his mouth, as he felt a surge bile coming up. With a grimace Natsu managed to keep his breakfast down. "I'm seriously gonna kill that stupid cat."

In the middle of town a young blonde woman was in Hargeon's only magic shop.

"WHAT! How can this be the only magic shop in town?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she put her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry miss, but this town is known for its fishing not magic." The shopkeeper said, as he raised his hands defensively. "Hardly anyone in town can use magic, so I opened this shop to help traveling mages."

"Damnit," Lucy sighed, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I think I'm wasting my time in here."

"Wait miss don't leave just yet! I just got a bunch of new items recently!" The shopkeeper exclaimed, trying to keep Lucy from leaving.

With a sigh Lucy began to browse around the small shop.

"What about this one?" The shopkeeper asked, as he took out a small device. "It's called **Colors **magic, and depending on your mood it allows you to change the color of your clothes. It's very popular with girls."

To demonstrate the shopkeeper swiped his finger across the lacrima on the device. Suddenly his clothes changed from yellow to purple.

"I already have one of those." Lucy said, not even paying attention to the shopkeeper. "I'm looking for strong Celestial Spirit gate keys."

"Gate keys?" The shopkeeper said, as he scratched his head. "Those are pretty rare."

Suddenly Lucy spotted a small box tucked away off to the side.

"The White Doggy!" Lucy exclaimed, as she snatched the gate key.

"Uh, that one's not very strong." The shopkeeper said, as Lucy placed the key on the counter.

"I don't care, I've actually been looking for this one for a while now." Lucy said with a smile. "Now how much is it?"

"That will be 20,000 jewels." The shopkeeper said, as he held up two fingers.

Lucy chocked on her own breath when she heard that price. But she kept her cool, and continued to smile.

"I wonder how much this key is?" Lucy asked, as she tapped a finger to her chin.

"Uh, I said it will be 20,000 jewels," The shopkeeper repeated.

Suddenly Lucy sat up on the counter. Her blouse was unzipped slightly, showing a very generous amount of her cleavage.

"I wonder how much it really is?" Lucy asked in a sultry tone. "You wonderful old man."

Two minutes later Lucy stormed out of the shop.

"That old prick only knocked off a 1000 jewels," Lucy huffed. Lucy looked down at her large breasts and sighed. "What the hell are these things good for, if they can't even get me some free stuff every now and then."

Suddenly Lucy kicked a nearby sign.

"Is my sex appeal really only worth 1000 jewels!" Lucy exclaimed, as she kicked the sign across the street.

As Lucy huffed in annoyance a crowd of girls ran past her. Lucy watched where the girls were heading, and saw a large crowd of cheering girls.

"What the hell is going on over there?" Lucy asked herself, as another group of girls ran by.

"Did you hear a famous mage is in town?" One of the girls asked.

"Yeah I heard I heard it's Salamander-sama." Another girl replied with hearts in her eyes.

"Salamander?" Lucy whispered, as her eyes suddenly went wide. "They say he can use fire magic that can't be bought in stores. I have to get a glimpse of him!"

Lucy quickly ran over, and started making her way through the crowd. When she finally saw the man in the center of the crowd, her heart started to beat erratically.

_"Why is my heart beating so fast?" _Lucy thought, as she clutched a hand over her racing heart.

Just as Lucy entered the crowd, Natsu and Happy came walking down the other side of the road.

"I can't believe I had to ride that train twice!" Natsu exclaimed, as he turned his head to glare at Happy. "No thanks to you!"

"It's not my fault you're terrible with transportation." Happy said with a shrug. "Anyways I'm hungry."

"Well we have no money." Natsu said with a frown. "Hey Happy, they meant Igneel when they were talking about this Salamander, right?"

"Yep, Igneel is the only thing that comes to mind when I think of Salamanders." Happy replied with a smile.

"That's what I thought to buddy," Natsu said as he patted Happy's head. "I've finally found him! I feel so much better now!"

"Aye!" Happy said, as he raised his paw.

Suddenly Natsu spotted a large crowd gathered across the street. But that's not really caught his attention. Natsu inhaled deeply, catching a familiar scent in the air.

"No way," Natsu whispered as he started walking towards the crowd.

"What is it Natsu?" Happy asked, as he followed behind Natsu.

"I smell someone." Natsu said as he started to push his way through the crowd.

"Who?" Happy asked, as he tried to make his way through the crowd of cheering girls.

"Lucy," Natsu replied, as he neared the center of the crowd. "It's been so long since I've seen her."

Lucy slowly stepped forward. She was barely able to control herself, as she approached the Salamander.

_"What's happened to me?!" _Lucy thought, as the Salamander turned his gaze to her. Lucy's heart practically jumped out of her chest when their eyes met. _"Is it because he's a famous __mage? Is that why my heart is beating so fast? Could this be love at first sight?" _

"LUCY!" Natsu cheered, as he pushed himself into the center of the crowd.

But the person Natsu saw definitely wasn't Lucy. It was just some random guy.

"Who the hell are you?" Natsu asked with a deadpanned expression.

Lucy's eyes widened when she saw the pink-haired man step in front of her. Suddenly her heart started to beat even faster than before.

_"Pink hair and a dragon scale scarf." _Lucy thought, as tears of happiness built up in her eyes. _"Natsu I can't believe it's really you!"_

"Maybe you might know me as Salamander?" The man asked Natsu, as he flipped his hair.

"Nope doesn't ring a bell." Natsu replied, as he immediately dismissed the man.

The dragon slayer's eyes scanned through the rest of the crowd. Then he saw her, standing just a few feet away from him. Natsu's eyes widened when he spotted Lucy. She had certainly changed from when he last saw her. Her blonde hair now reached to just below her shoulders, and she had a blue bow tied into it. Her chocolate brown eyes were still as warm and inviting as ever. She was wearing a blue and white blouse, which struggled to hold in her large breasts, and a criminally short skirt with a pair of black boots that went up to the top of her calfs. Natsu also spotted a whip and a set of keys attached to her hips.

Now Natsu isn't as oblivious to girls as he lets on. He could admire a beautiful a girl, and he definitely caught himself gazing at Erza and Mira quite often. So Natsu could say for sure that Lucy had grown up to be a stunning girl.

"LuAH!" Natsu was cut off when he received a fierce kick to his jaw.

"Don't be so rude!"

"Salamander-sama is an amazing mage, so show him some respect!"

"Apologize right now you bastard!"

A group of fangirls had gathered around Natsu, and were taking turns beating him.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Natsu yelled in anger, he could feel the flames building up inside him.

"Alright girls that's enough." Salamander said, as he waved the girls off. "He didn't mean to be rude."

"AW! He's so kind!" All girls said in unison.

Lucy glared at the Salamander, as he scribbled something on a board.

"Here's my autograph," The Salamander said, as he handed Natsu the board. "You can show it to all of your friends."

"I don't want that shit!" Natsu said, as he pushed the autograph out of his face.

Suddenly Natsu felt himself flying through the air, as he was throw out of the crowd.

"I certainly appreciate your awesome welcome ladies." Salamander said, as a cloud of pink flames formed underneath him. "Well if you'll excuse me, I have some errands to run at the port."

So with a snap of his fingers Salamander was flying off. But he yelled something before he was out of earshot.

"I'm having a party on my ship tonight, you're all welcome to drop by." The Salamander said, as he disappeared off into the distance.

Natsu groaned as he sat up.

"I guess that wasn't Igneel." Happy said in a sad tone.

"You think?" Natsu said sarcastically as he stood up. "What a prick."

"Natsu?"

Natsu spun around to see Lucy standing there smiling at him.

"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, as he pulled Lucy in for a tight hug. "I missed you Lucy."

"I-I missed you too N-Natsu." Lucy stuttered out, as her face flushed bright red.

"Man so much has happened since I last saw you!" Natsu said with a smile, as he released Lucy.

"Well you want to get something to eat, and catch up." Lucy suggested, as she gestured to a nearby restaurant.

"You're an angel Lucy!" Natsu said, as he bowed before Lucy. "Me and Happy are starving."

"Happy?" Lucy asked with a confused look.

"I'm down here."

Lucy looked down at her feet to see a blue cat staring up at her.

"AH! A TALKING CAT!" Lucy screamed as she suddenly jumped back.

"Man, you were right Natsu, she is weird." Happy said, as he turned to face Natsu.

"HEY! I'm not weird you stupid cat!" Lucy yelled, as her face turned red in embarassment.

"Come on Happy stop embarrassing Lucy, she is buying us something to eat after all." Natsu said, earning a cheer from Happy.

"You're the best Lucy!" Happy cheered, as he jumped for joy.

"Oh now you're nice to me," Lucy said with a sigh, but then something that Natsu had said hit her. "WAIT! I'M BUYING?!"

"Well we kinda don't have any money on us." Natsu said with a sheepish smile, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Fine I'll pay," Lucy said with a huff. "But you two owe me."

"Sure thing Lucy!" Natsu said with a grin, as he followed Lucy into the restaurant.

* * *

(10 Minutes Later)

"No way, you know Titania?!" Lucy exclaimed, as Natsu took a huge bite of his food.

"Titania?" Natsu said with a confused look on his face. "Oh! You mean Erza. Yeah I know Erza, she's one of my best friends. We actually joined Fairy Tail together."

"Wow that's amazing," Lucy said, as she stared at Natsu in awe. "Do you know Mirajane as well?"

"Mira?" Natsu said with grin. "Of course I know Mira, she one of my best friends too."

"No way!" Lucy exclaimed, as she dug through her bag. After rifling around, she eventually pulled out a magazine. "She's so beautiful."

Natsu leaned over and saw what Lucy was looking at. It was an issue of the Weekly Sorcerer with some pictures of Mira in a bikini.

"Ugh, I wish she would stop doing those stupid photoshoots." Natsu groaned out, as he sat back into his seat.

"Why?" Lucy asked, as she raised a blonde eyebrow.

"She only does those photoshoots as a distraction." Natsu replied, as he took a gulp of his drink.

"What do mean a distraction?" Lucy asked, now completely intrigued.

Natsu sighed and put his drink down.

"Mira's little sister, Lisanna, died two years ago." Natsu explained, as his eyes got a far away look. "Mira hasn't really been the same since then. She stopped being a mage, and now she works as a bartender at the guild. I know she does those photoshoots to help distract her, so that she doesn't think about Lisanna. Mira puts on a brave face, but I know Lisanna's death still haunts her. But I think she's been getting over it little by little. Me and Erza try our best to make her happy. I just never want her to be sad like that ever again."

Lucy sat dumbfounded by what she had just heard. She had no idea that something that tragic had happened. Lucy looked at Natsu, and she was surprised to see that his hands were balled into fists. She was starting to get worried when the temperature started to rise around them.

"Oh no it's happening again." Happy said, as he immediately jumped up onto the table.

"What's happening?" Lucy asked, as sweat started to form on her brow.

"This happens whenever Natsu starts to think about Lisanna. She was like a sister to him, so her death hit him really hard. I don't know what we should do, usually Erza or Mira snaps him out of it when he's like this." Happy said, as he slowly backed away from the dragon slayer.

Lucy reached out to touch Natsu. But as soon as her hand touched his shoulder, she reeled her hand back. His skin felt like a mix of searing fire and static electricity.

"Happy what would Erza or Mira do when he gets like this?" Lucy asked, as the other restaurant patrons started to feel the heat as well.

"They would lay his head against their laps, and gently stroke his hair," Happy explained. "But you should be careful Lucy, only Erza and Mira were able to do that. If anyone else tried it wouldn't work."

"Well I have to try," Lucy said, as she stood up and moved over to Natsu's side. She sat next to the dragon slayer, and gently laid his head onto her lap. She hissed when she felt his burning skin against her thighs. When she ran her fingers through his hair, Lucy felt small jolts of electricity nip her fingers. After a few moments of this the temperature dropped back to normal, and Natsu seemed to calm down.

"Wow," Happy said as he stared at Lucy. "I've only seen Erza and Mira be able to do that."

"Well I guess I just have the magic touch." Lucy said with a smile.

Suddenly Natsu groaned and sat up. He turned his head to Happy and sighed.

"It happened again didn't it?" Natsu asked the blue cat.

"Yeah, but Lucy helped you." Happy said, as he pointed at Lucy.

Natsu turned his head to see Lucy smiling at him.

"You did that?" Natsu asked, earning a nod from Lucy. "Wow, thanks Lucy."

"Oh, it was no problem Natsu." Lucy said, as she waved her hands dismissively.

Natsu smiled at Lucy, but then he spotted red marks on her hands and thighs.

"Aw shit I'm sorry Lucy." Natsu said with a guilty look on his face.

"What are you," Lucy followed Natsu's gaze. She noticed that where Natsu's head had been was now bright red. Then she looked at her hands, and saw that they were red as well. "Don't worry about it Natsu, I've been through worse. Anyways I should be thanking you."

"Thank me for what?" Natsu asked, as he looked up at Lucy and raised an eyebrow.

"For freeing me from that Salamander bastard earlier." Lucy explained with a look of disgust. "He was using **Charm** magic, and it was drawing me towards him. It's magic used to capture other people's hearts. That's why all those girls were following him. So it was banned several years ago. But thanks to you guys, I broke out of the spell."

"I see," Natsu said as Lucy moved back to her side of the booth.

"Did I mention that I'm a mage too?" Lucy asked, as she sat down.

"No," Natsu said, as he started to eat his food again. "But I kinda assumed you were one, because I noticed those keys and that whip on your hip."

"Yep I'm a celestial spirit mage!" Lucy said with a big smile.

"I've never met a celestial spirit mage, so that's pretty cool." Natsu said, as Lucy showed Natsu her keys.

"Yeah each of these keys summon a spirit from the celestial spirit world," Lucy explained, as she grabbed a gold key. "But these gold keys summon one of the twelve Zodiac celestial spirits. They're super rare, because there are only twelve keys. I've got three of them, but I've been looking all over for the other ones."

"That's really cool Lucy." Natsu said with a smile, as Lucy put her keys back onto her hip.

"So what are you doing in Hargeon anyway?" Lucy asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"We're searching for Igneel." Happy quickly answered, in between bites of fish.

"Igneel?" Lucy asked with a confused look.

"I had heard a rumor that Salamander was coming to this town, so we came, but it was the wrong person." Natsu said with a sigh.

"This Salamander didn't look anything like a Salamander." Happy chimed in, as he picked up another piece of fish.

"Damnit, I thought it was really gonna be him this time." Natsu said with a sad look.

"What? How can a human look like a salamander?" Lucy asked, making both Natsu and Happy turn to face her.

"Hrmm? Igneel isn't a human." Natsu replied, making Lucy's eyes widen. "He's a real dragon."

"There is no way a dragon would be in a town like this!" Lucy exclaimed.

Natsu and Happy were about to argue, but they stopped when the realization hit them.

"Don't tell me you just thought of that!" Lucy yelled.

Both Natsu and Happy's heads slammed onto the table.

"We're so stupid Happy," Natsu groaned out.

"Aye."

"Jeez," Lucy said as she put some money on the table. "Well let's get going."

"Going?" Natsu asked, as he raised his head off the table.

"You're a Fairy Tail mage, right? That's where I was heading, so I want you to take me there." Lucy said, earning a grin from Natsu.

"Sure thing Lucy," Natsu said as he stood up. "But first I gotta take a leak."

"Ugh I don't need to know that!" Lucy exclaimed disgust evident on her face.

"Just wait outside, and we'll head to Fairy Tail when I'm done." Natsu said, as he walked into the bathroom.

"Come on Happy." Lucy said as she walked past the blue cat.

"I'll be out in a sec Lucy I'm not done with this fish yet." Happy said, as his mouth started to water.

"Stupid cat," Lucy mumbled as she walked out of the restaurant.

Lucy sat down on a bench just outside the restaurant, and waited for Natsu. As Lucy waited, she pulled out her issue of the Weekly Sorcerer again.

"Oh, Fairy Tail caused trouble again," Lucy said as she flipped through the pages. "They took out the Devon Thief Family, but they also destroyed several other homes. HAHA! That's hilarious."

As Lucy flipped through the pages her mind began to wander.

"I wonder how I get into Fairy Tail anyways. Do I have to learn some strong magic, or maybe take a test." Lucy sighed, as she put the magazine back into her bag. "All I know is that I'm gonna join Fairy Tail. It's the best guild ever, plus Natsu will be there." Lucy said the last part quietly to herself.

"So you want to join Fairy Tail?"

Lucy jumped out of her seat at the sudden voice. She turned to see Salamander in the bushes.

"What do you want?" Lucy asked harshly.

"I've been looking all over for you. I wanted to invite a beautiful lady like you to my party later." Salamander said with a wink

"Tch I'll pass," Lucy said as she turned her head. "And FYI your stupid **Charm **magic won't work on me anymore. As long I know about it, that stupid magic won't work."

"Hm, I knew you were a mage." Salamander said as he rubbed his chin. "I could tell as soon as our eyes met. I would love it if you came to my party."

"Piss off," Lucy spat. "Like I would hang out with a jerk like you. You're not even close to a popular mage."

Lucy started to walk back towards the restaurant, but Salamander called out to her.

"Wait! You want to join Fairy Tail, right?" Salamander asked, as he reached out towards Lucy. "I can talk to the master for you, and get you in."

"No thanks, someone else from Fairy Tail is already taking me there." Lucy said with a smirk.

"W-What!?" Salamander exclaimed with a worried look. "Then I defiantly can't let you get away."

"What are you going on about?" Lucy asked, as she laid a hand on her keys.

Before Lucy could react, Salamander raised his fist. One of his rings started to glow brightly. Immediately Lucy started to feel faint, and seconds later she fell over unconscious.

"You should have just came to the party." Salamander said with a smirk, as he slung Lucy over his shoulder.

Moments later both Salamander and Lucy were flying towards his ship on a trail of pink fire.

Just as Lucy and Salamander were out of sight, Natsu and Happy walked out of the restaurant.

"Man I ate a lot." Natsu said as he patted his belly.

Natsu scanned the area outside the restaurant, but he didn't see Lucy anywhere.

"Where could Lucy be?" Natsu asked, as a familiar scent hit his nose. The dragon slayer followed the scent, and came to the bench Lucy had been sitting on. "She was here, and recently too." Then another scent hit Natsu's nose. "Ugh, so was that Salamander freak."

"Natsu, you don't think that Salamander guy did something to Lucy?" Happy suggested with a worried look.

"If he did I'm gonna kick his ass." Natsu said as he punched his palm, causing electricity to spark to life in his hand. "I can still faintly pick up their scent."

Natsu followed the scent until her came to a ridge overlooking the town.

"Hey Natsu didn't Salamander say that he was having a party on his ship tonight?" Happy asked, as he pointed to a docked ship.

"Ugh, I'm getting sick just looking at that thing." Natsu groaned, as he turned a little green.

"You're hopeless Natsu." Happy said with a sigh. "But Lucy is probably on that ship."

It was then that Natsu overheard a group of girls talking nearby.

"Did you hear that mage Salamander is having a party on his ship tonight?" One of the girls asked.

"Yeah I heard he's from the famous Fairy Tail guild." Another girl replied.

Natsu shot to his feet when he heard this. Anger was evident in his eyes, as he glared at the ship that was setting sail.

"So that bastard has the nerve to call himself a Fairy Tail mage!" Natsu exclaimed as rage filled his body. "And he has the balls to kidnap Lucy."

Electricity start to spark off Natsu's body, startling the group of nearby girls.

"Happy let's go, we have a Salamander to fry."

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed, as he picked Natsu up and started flying towards the ship.

* * *

Lucy awoke with a splitting headache. She quickly recognized that she was on a ship. Turning her head, Lucy saw that she was in a what appeared to be a large cage. When she sat up, she saw Salamander smirking at her.

"Where am I?!" Lucy screamed at the man in front of her.

"Oh my dear you are on my slave ship." Salamander said in a dark tone.

"Let me go you bastard! Don't make me hurt you!" Lucy yelled, as she reached for her keys. But when she grabbed for Tauros' key, she grabbed air. She looked down, and went wide eyed when she saw that all her keys were gone.

"Looking for these?" Salamander asked, as he twirled Lucy's keys around his index finger.

"Give those back!" Lucy exclaimed, as she reached an arm through the bars of her cage.

"Where you're going you won't be needing these." Salamander said, as he tossed Lucy's keys out of the open window.

"NO!" Lucy screamed as she felt tears build up in her eyes.

"Now be a good little girl and let me brand you." Salamander said with a wicked grin. "This might burn a little, but you'll be fine."

"You son of a bitch," Lucy whispered as tears streamed down her face. "You're the worst mage ever, you're scum."

Just before Salamander could reply, a bolt of lightning hit the ship. Immediately all the lights on the ship went out at the same time.

"What the hell just happened?!" Salamander roared as several of his goons ran into the room.

"The ship was struck by lightning sir, and it caused the power to go out." One of the goons answered.

"How can there be lightning? It's a perfectly clear night!" Salamander exclaimed, just as the ceiling above him exploded.

Salamander and his goons managed to jump out of the way just as Natsu landed in front of Lucy's cage.

"Natsu! You came to save me!" Lucy said with a smile, as she wiped away her tears.

"Oh, it's that brat from earlier." Salamander said in a bored tone.

Natsu turned to face Lucy, as a smile spread across his face.

"Lucy I'm here to HMPH!" Natsu suddenly collapsed to the ground with swirls in his eyes. "Nope, I can't do it."

"AH! THAT'S SO LAME MAN!" Lucy yelled at Natsu, who was barely supporting himself against the wall.

"Where the hell did this kid even come from?" Salamander asked, as he looked through the hole in the ceiling.

Suddenly Salamander felt something fly past him. He looked down, and saw that the keys to the cage were gone. When he looked back up he saw a blue cat with wings releasing his prisoner.

"Happy, when did you get wings?" Lucy asked, as Happy wrapped his tail around Lucy's waist.

"No time to explain now." Happy said as he started to fly off.

"What about Natsu!?" Lucy yelled over the rushing wind.

"I can't carry two people at once." Happy simply replied.

"Don't let that girl get away. We can't have her reporting this to the council!" Salamander exclaimed, as he fired a stream of pink flames at Happy and Lucy.

The rest of Salamander's goon grabbed guns, and started shooting at the flying cat.

"Uh, Lucy I'm gonna need you to stay calm." Happy said in a nervous tone.

"Why?" Lucy asked, as she looked up at the flying cat.

"My transformation magic just ran out." Just then Happy's wings disappeared.

"You shitty cat!" Lucy screamed as she plummeted into the water.

With a deep intake of breath, Lucy emerged above the water.

"If I could find my keys I could help." Lucy said, just as Happy floated up next to her.

"You mean these?" Happy asked, as he pulled Lucy's keys out of his green pack.

"Where did you get these?" Lucy asked as she snatched her keys.

"Natsu grabbed him before he blew that hole in the roof." Happy explained, as Lucy grasped one of her gold keys.

"Okay here I come," Lucy said as she raised the key above her head. "**Open the Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!**"

Lucy plunged her key into the water, and instantly a glowing magic circle surrounded her. Seconds later a blue-haired mermaid, carrying a vase, appeared out of the water in front of Lucy.

"Woah that's a big fish!" Happy exclaimed, as he drooled slightly.

"Aquarius use your power to send that ship back to shore." Lucy said with a grin, as she pointed to the ship.

"Tch," Aquarius said with an annoyed expression.

"Did you just say _tch_!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Listen here you noisy brat," Aquarius said as she turned to glare at Lucy. "If you ever let my key get stolen again, I will kill you."

"S-Sorry," Lucy squeaked out, as she backed away from Aquarius.

"RAAAAAHHH!" Aquarius roared, as she raised her vase. Suddenly a massive tidal wave swallowed up the ship, along with Lucy and Happy.

"Don't sweep me up too!" Lucy screamed, as the the water rushed them towards the shore.

Seconds later the ship crashed back onto the shore. Salamander limped out of the wrecked ship, and stared the the destruction.

"How could you hit me along with that ship?!" Lucy yelled, as a tic mark formed on her head.

"My bad, I hit the ship as well." Aquarius replied, as she slapped a hand to her head.

"Were you aiming for me?!" Lucy screamed at Aquarius.

"Don't bother me for a while girl, because I'm gonna be on vacation with my boyfriend." Aquarius said, as she started to vanish. "With my _boyfriend_."

"No need to repeat yourself!" Lucy yelled at the vanishing spirit.

"Ack! We forgot about Natsu!" Happy exclaimed, as he ran to find Natsu.

* * *

"What the fuck just happened?" Salamander asked, as he stared at his destroyed ship.

"The swaying stopped," Natsu said as he stood up. "It finally stopped."

"Natsu, are you okay?!" Lucy asked as she stormed into the room Salamander and Natsu were in.

"Kid you shouldn't go on people's property without their permission." Salamander said with a smirk.

Natsu ignored Salamander, and started to remove his red jacket.

"Natsu, I'll help you!" Lucy said as she reached for her keys.

"Don't worry Lucy let Natsu take this one." Happy said with a grin.

Lucy looked at Natsu who had tossed his jacket off to the side

"So you're a Fairy Tail mage?" Natsu asked, as he glared at Salamander.

"Yeah what's it you brat." Salamander replied with a smirk.

"Then come closer, let me get a good look at you face." Natsu said, as two of Salamander's goons rushed towards him. The dragon slayer delivered a powerful backhand, hitting both men. "I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail, and I've never seen your ugly fucking face before!"

Bora and all his men went wide-eyed when they saw the red Fairy Tail marker on Natsu's shoulder.

""T-That mark," One of the goons stuttered out. "Bora-san that kids the real deal."

"You idiots, don't call me by my real name." The now named Bora scolded his croonies.

"Bora of Prominence. I've heard of him." Happy said, as a slight breeze revealed the lime green Fairy Tail mark on his back. "He was banished from the mage guild 'Titan Nose' several years ago. He used magic to commit several thefts, that's why he was banished."

"I don't a shit whether you're good or bad." Natsu said, as he clenched his teeth. "But I can't forgive you for hurting Lucy and using Fairy Tail's name in vain."

"Just shut up already you damn brat." Bora said, as Natsu was suddenly engulfed in a ball of pink flames.

"NATSU!" Lucy screamed, as she tried to run forward. But Happy extended his paw and stopped her.

"What the fuck are these flames? Are you really a fire mage?" A voice from within the flames asked. "Because these are honestly the worst flames I've ever tasted."

Everyone watched wide-eyed as Natsu literally inhaled the flames. His stomach bulged slightly at the amount of flames he was eating. Natsu burped as he wiped the excess flames from his mouth.

"Thanks for the meal you bastard." Natsu said with a smug grin.

"What the hell are you?!" Bora yelled as he took a fearful step backwards.

"Fire won't work on Natsu." Happy said with a smirk.

"If any of you idiots can use magic nows the time!" Bora exclaimed, as he turned to his goons.

The thugs all looked at each other, and scratched their heads. However one goon took a step forward.

"If fire won't work let's see how you like lightning!" The thug said, as he raised his arm.

A streak of blue lightning fired from the thug's hand straight at Natsu. The dragon slayer simply raised an eyebrow, as the lightning approached.

"Seconds? You guys are spoiling me!" Natsu said with a grin, as the lightning hit him.

"Ha! Got you, you smug bastard!" The thug cheered, but it was short lived.

Almost instantly Natsu started to inhaled the lightning surrounding his body.

"GAH! This tastes like shit too!" Natsu said with a disgusted look on his face. "How can you call yourself a mage?"

"Electricity won't work on Natsu either." Happy said, as he crossed his paws over his chest.

"I've never seen magic like that!" Lucy said in awe, as she watched flames swirl around Natsu.

"Now that I've eaten I'm all fired up!" Natsu exclaimed, as he punched his fists together, flames surrounding his body.

"No way, can... he... be," One thug said as he pointed a shaky finger at Natsu. "Bora-san I've seen this kids before! Pink hair and a scale scarf. There's no doubt...he's the real."

"Let's see how you guys like this!" Natsu yelled, as he inhaled deeply. His cheeks puffed up, as he built up fire in his mouth. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**"

The stream of concentrated fire obliterated a group of Bora's goons in a single blow. All the cronies were scattered around, and their bodies were burnt to a crisp. Natsu turned to another group of thugs and grinned. The air around Natsu crackled with electricity, as again he inhaled deeply.

"**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**"

A blinding bolt of lightning shot from Natsu's mouth. The rest of the thugs were caught up in the massive blast of electricity. All of the goons sparked with electricity, as they laid on the ground unconscious.

"Natsu is the real Salamander," Lucy said with a smirk.

"Remember it well!" Natsu roared, as he charged Bora. "This is the power of a Fairy Tail mage!"

Natsu slammed a flaming fist onto the top of Bora's head. The man went face first into the hard ground, causing a few of his teeth to fall out.

"Eating fire and lightning and breathing fire and lightning, what type of magic is that?" Lucy asked, as she looked at the destruction in utter astonishment.

"Dragon's lungs to breath fire and lightning, a dragon's scales to dissolve flames and disperse electricity, and dragon's claws to wrap in flames and lightning." Happy explained, as Lucy's jaw slowly dropped. "It's ancient magic that basically turns a person's body into that of a dragon. This magic was originally developed to fight dragons. Igneel and Valinor taught Natsu this magic. Natsu is a dual Dragon Slayer!"

"Valinor?" Lucy asked, as she looked at Happy.

"Another dragon that helped raise Natsu, he's kinda like Natsu's older brother and Igneel is his dad. Valinor is the one who taught Natsu Lightning Dragon Slayer magic, while Igneel taught Natsu Fire Dragon Slayer magic."

"...I see." Lucy breathed out as she stared at Natsu in wonder.

_"Natsu you really are amazing." _Lucy thought with a smile.

"**Fire Dragon's Claw!**"

Natsu delivered a powerful flaming kick to Bora's face. This sent Bora flying with Natsu in hot pursuit.

"You little shit!" Bora roared, as he flew up on his pink flames. "Take this!"

Bora formed a massive ball of pink flames and threw it at Natsu.

"Don't you ever learn?" Natsu said with a wolfish grin, as he caught the ball of flames. Opening his mouth, Natsu ate the flames immediately. "Time to finish this!"

Again Natsu punched his fist together. But this time electricity coursed around Natsu instead of fire. When the dragon slayer looked up, he saw Bora looking at him with fearful eyes.

"**Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

Natsu jumped up and delivered a powerful uppercut to Bora's jaw. The ex-guild mage screamed in pain, as the powerful electricity flowed through his body.

"And one more!" Natsu said with a smirk. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

The lightning in Natsu's hand was replaced by fire. He slammed his fist into Bora's stomach, sending the man crashing to the ground. When Natsu landed on the ground, Bora was a mess. His body was charred and burned, as electricity crackled off him.

"That was amazing," Lucy breathed out, as she watched Natsu stand in triumph "BUT YOU OVERDID IT!"

Lucy did a full 360, and saw that the port around her was completely in ruins.

"The port in completely trashed." Lucy said, as she ran her hands down her face.

"Aye." Happy said with a smile.

"Don't give me an 'aye' you dumb cat!" Lucy screamed, as she heard the loud sound of approaching footsteps.

"What is going on over here!" A military officer screamed, as he gazed at the extensive damage.

"Oh no it's the military!" Lucy exclaimed, but she suddenly felt someone dragging her.

"Shit Lucy we have to book it to Fairy Tail now!" Natsu yelled, as he pulled Lucy along with him.

"Why does this have to happen to me!?" Lucy complained, as Natsu continued to drag her.

"You wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?" Natsu asked, as he turned to face Lucy. The blonde celestial spirit mage quickly nodded. "Well this type of stuff comes with being a Fairy Tail mage. So come with me Lucy!" Natsu finished by giving Lucy a big toothy grin.

Lucy felt her heart warm when Natsu grinned at her. She knew there was no way that she could say no to him.

"OKAY!" Lucy cheered, as she ran along side Natsu towards her future at Fairy Tail.

Lucy had no clue how important her meeting with Natsu would be that fateful day. She had no idea that the dragon slayer would forever change her life, along with the lives of four other girls.

* * *

**And done, the first cannon chapter is complete. So what did you guys think. I'm gonna write more chapter for this story before I start anything for my other stories. So you can expect another chapter soon. Well I hope you guys liked this chapter, because I had a blast writing it. Okay the final harem will be Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Mirajane, and Flare. Again sorry to those that wanted ****other girls, but the voters have spoken. Remember to Follow/Favorite, PLEASE REVIEW I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK, PM me ideas you have for the story, and don't forget to vote in the poll. So until next time I'm outta here.**


	4. Chapter 4 This is Fairy Tail

**Wow you guys are awesome! We're at 65 reviews and we're almost at 200 followers/favorites, and I'm not even on the ****fourth chapter yet. That's absolutely amazing to me. I'll leave the poll up on my profile until the next chapter, so you have until then to cast your votes. This chapter will deal with the Macao arc. So I hope you guys are ready for some NaLu bonding time :) Without further ado let's get to the chapter.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does :(**

* * *

(10 a.m. the Next Day)

After successfully escaping the military Natsu, Lucy, and Happy boarded a train bound for Magnolia. As they took their seats, Natsu was already feeling a bit nauseous.

"Hey Natsu, are you alright?" Lucy asked with a concerned look. "Because you look a little green."

Natsu merely groaned, and leaned his face against the window.

"Natsu always get like this." Happy said, as he stifled a giggle. "He has motion sickness."

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand to stop her own giggles.

"Are you serious? You took out that Bora guy and all his goons without breaking a sweat. Using some ridiculous magic that I've never seen before no less. But then you turn around and get motion sickness?" Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's really lame man."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Natsu whined just as the train started to move.

Almost instantly Natsu was on the floor, as he clutched his stomach in pain.

"Someone just kill me already." Natsu moaned in pain, as his stomach started to do backflips.

"Is there anything we can do to help him?" Lucy asked Happy, who was happily staring out the window.

Happy turned his head away from the window, and looked down at Natsu. The dragon slayer was on lying the floor, groaning from the pain every few moments. Happy then closed his eyes, and rubbed his chin.

"When he got like this on missions, Erza would lay Natsu's head in her lap and gently stroked his head." Happy said, as he nodded his head.

"Like what I did back in the restaurant?" Lucy asked, as she started to blush slightly.

"Pretty much, but Erza would also whisper nice things to Natsu. He would something like that to Erza when she was a kid, back when she used to get nightmares a lot. It seems to work really well on Natsu as well." Happy replied, making Lucy blush an even brighter shade of red.

"And you're sure that that will work?" Lucy asked, as she snuck a quick glance at Natsu.

"Aye!" Happy cheered with a raised paw.

The celestial spirit mage turned her head to look at the dragon slayer. Natsu looked like a mess, and Lucy couldn't help but feel sorry for him. So with a deep sigh, Lucy decided to take pity on Natsu.

"Natsu?" Lucy called softly. The dragon slayer groaned, as he turned his head to look at Lucy. "Come up here."

Lucy patted the seat next to her. With great effort Natsu got off the floor, and slumped into the seat next to Lucy.

"Now lay your head in my lap." Lucy said in a motherly tone.

Natsu turned to look at Lucy with wide eyes.

"You don't have to do that Lucy." Natsu said as he forced a grin onto his face. "I can tough it out until we reach Magnolia."

Lucy looked at the dragon slayer skeptically. A sudden bump caused to suddenly dry heave.

"You won't last another five minutes." Lucy stated with a sympathetic look. "Just lay your head down. And if you throw up on me, I'm throwing you off this damn train!" Lucy hissed the last part with narrowed eyes.

Natsu hesitated as he blushed slightly, but he ultimately relented. With a groan Natsu laid his head down on Lucy's lap. The celestial spirit mage had to hold in a moan when she felt Natsu's warm skin press against her thighs.

_"He's so warm, it's nothing like the burning heat from earlier. It really feels nice, kinda like a heater." _Lucy thought with a smile and a bright blush, as she started to slowly run her fingers through Natsu's pink hair. _"And the static electricity in his hair is sending tingles throughout my whole body."_

A low moan from Natsu pulled Lucy from her thoughts. She looked down at the dragon slayer. He looked better, but he still appeared to be in a slight amount of pain. Lucy then remembered the other thing that Happy had told her.

_"Erza __would whisper nice things to Natsu." _

Lucy's blush brightened several shades, as she thought about what she was about to do.

"Shh," Lucy said a little awkwardly, as she continued to stroke Natsu's head. "Y-You'll be fine Natsu."

Natsu groaned again, and buried his face in Lucy's lap just above her knees. The dragon slayer then curled up into a ball and closed his eyes. Lucy smiled warmly down at the now passed out dragon slayer.

_"He's really cute when he's asleep." _Lucy thought as she laid her head against her seat. With a content sigh, Lucy closed her eyes. _"I could get used to this." _

Lucy slowly started to drift off to sleep, as she continued to absentmindedly run her fingers through Natsu's pink locks.

Happy watched the pair with a small smile.

_"Hmm it's like they were never separated for seven years." _Happy thought, as he turned his head to look back out the window. _"It's looks like she's already as close to him as Erza and Mira. I wonder how they'll handle another girl fighting for Natsu's affections."_

Happy grinned as he watched the countryside roll by. Things were going to get interesting very soon.

* * *

(5 hours later)

It was a little past three in the afternoon when the train pulled into Magnolia Station. The sound of the loud whistle awoke Lucy and Natsu.

"We're here already?" Lucy asked, as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"I guess so." Natsu replied, as he stood up and stretched.

Natsu helped Lucy with her bags, before they stepped off the train. Lucy marveled at the large bustling city before her. She could see shops and restaurants lining both sides of the street. Then Lucy saw it, a single building towering over the rest. She could see the Fairy Tail banner blowing proudly in the wind. That had to be where the guild hall was.

"You ready Lucy?" Natsu asked with a massive grin.

There again was that stupid grin that she loved so much.

"Of course Natsu lead the way!" Lucy cheered with a smile of her own.

After a short walk the group had arrived at Fairy Tail's front doors. Lucy marveled at the building that was in front of her.

"Wow, it's huge," Lucy breathed out with wide eyes. A massive smile started to spread across her face. "It's everything I've ever dreamed of and more."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy." Natsu said, as he gestured to the double doors that lead into the building.

With a cheer Lucy rushed forward, and reached for the door handle. She could hear the cheers and laughter inside from out here, and she wanted to get inside a quickly as possible. But Natsu's hand grabbed her wrist before she could open the door. She turned her head to look at Natsu, who had a wolfish grin on his face. She raised a single blonde eyebrow in confusion.

"Let me do it," Natsu said as released Lucy's wrist. "Now step back."

Lucy was still confused, but she obeyed and took a step away from Natsu. The dragon's slayers grin widened as he raised his foot, which was aimed directly at the door.

* * *

"Mira-chan can we get three beers over here?" A guild member called out, as he raised three fingers.

"Sure thing," Mirajane said with a smile, as she walked back towards the bar.

"Mira-chaaan!" Wakaba called out.

"Yes, what is it Wakaba?" Mirajane asked, as she stopped in front of Wakaba's table.

Wakaba smiled as he blew three smoke hearts into the air.

"Let's go out on a date sometime." Wakaba said, earning several glares from the other male guild members.

Mirajane sighed before she was surrounded by a cloud of smoke. When the smoke dissipated Mirajane was replaced with Wakaba's wife.

"You have a wife don't you Wakaba?" Mirajane scolded, as she wagged her finger.

"AHHH! DON'T TRANSFORM INTO MY WIFE!" Wakaba screamed, as he quickly averted his eyes.

All the surrounding guild members burst out laughing at Wakaba's expense. Mirajane giggled as she dropped her transformation.

"Besides Wakaba, I already have my eyes set on someone." Mirajane said with a wink, before she walked off.

The jaws of all the male guild members simultaneously hit the floor. What lucky bastard could Mirajane possibly be interested in? The white-haired beauty had walked off before they could pry any info out of her.

Mirajane blushed madly, as she set the tray of empty mugs down onto the bar.

_"I can't believe I just said that!" _Mirajane thought, as she pressed a hand against her flushed cheeks. _"There is no way I can let anyone know I've got a crush on Natsu." _

As if on cue the doors to the guild burst open.

"WE'RE HOME!" Natsu screamed, as he stepped into the guild.

Lucy stood off to the side wide-eyed. She had no idea that Natsu was going to literally kick the doors open, almost blowing them off their hinges in the process.

"Natsu, Happy welcome back!" Mirajane said with a warm smile.

_"I'm so glad you're back Natsu." _Mirajane thought just as she spotted Lucy standing in the doorway sheepishly. _"Now who is this girl, and why is she with Natsu?"_

"Hey Natsu! I overheard what happened in Hargeon." Krov said, as he closed his eyes and grinned. **(A/N Turns out the guy who gives Natsu the tip about Salamander has a name. Actually a lot of the back ground guild members have names, and are kinda fleshed out it's pretty interesting) **"Don't you think you went a little over..."

When Krov opened his eyes, he was meet with the sight of Natsu's foot inches away from his face.

"...board." As soon as the words left Krov's mouth, he was sent flying across the guild by the force of Natsu's kick.

"That's for giving me false info you bastard!" Natsu said with a grin, as he stood over Krov's unconscious body.

"My, my now that Natsu is back the guild may be torn apart soon." Mirajane said with a warm smile, as she watched Natsu brawl with several other guild members.

"It's already torn apart!" Wakaba yelled, as Natsu slammed a guild member into a table.

Lucy watched the chaos unfold before her with rapt attention. A smile was on her face, as she watched Natsu throw another guild member into the wall.

"I'm finally at Fairy Tail." Lucy said to herself, as she clutched a hand over her racing heart. "I finally made it."

"Oi!" A voice yelled out from besides Lucy, causing her to jump in surprise. She looked to see a dark-haired boy, who was only wearing a pair of stripped boxers and a silver necklace with a small sword on the end. "Did I hear that Natsu is back! Let's settle our fight from earlier, you flame-brained punk!"

"Gray," a feminine voice called out. "Have you been walking around like that?"

The boy, now identified as Gray, looked down and noticed that he was only wearing his boxers.

"GAH! WHEN THE FUCK DID I EVEN DO THIS! CANA SAY SOMETHING SOONER NEXT TIME!" Gray screamed, as his eyes widened.

Lucy turned to the person who had addressed Gray. She saw a brown-haired woman sitting on a nearby table. The woman named Cana was dressed in a bikini top and a pair of brown pants.

"Tch, another one of those undignified guys..." Cana said, as she hoisted a large barrel of alcohol over her head. "That I really hate."

Lucy was flabbergasted when she saw Cana start to drink directly from the barrel.

"HEY! NATSU! FIGHT ME!" Gray yelled, as he walked towards the dragon slayer.

"What trash," a voice from behind Lucy said. When Lucy turned around she was shocked to see a white-haired man towering over her. "Arguing and squabbling in the middle of the day. You're all not little kids you know."

The man stepped forward and cracked his knuckles.

"Real men fight with their fists, not their words!" The newcomer exclaimed, as he prepared to take a swing at Gray and Natsu.

"STAY OUT OF THIS ELFMAN!" Natsu and Gray yelled, as they punched Elfman clear across the guild. Elfman crashed into the far wall, and immediately fell unconscious.

Lucy sweatdropped as she watched the now named Elfman slump on to the floor.

"I guess he was just all talk." Lucy said, as she heard another person speak up from besides her.

"Hrmm it's so noisy in here." The man said, as he adjusted his glasses.

Lucy went wide-eyed, as she recognized the mage.

"No way, that's Loke the top ranked "Mage you want to have as you boyfriend." he looks so cool." Lucy said just as two girls suddenly hugged Loki's sides.

"For you two ladies, I'll join in that fight." Loke said with a charming smile.

"Good luck!" Both girls cheered with hearts in their eyes.

"And his image is ruined for me." Lucy said with a sigh. "What's with this place? Is no one here normal?"

"Oh, you're that new girl that showed up with Natsu."

Lucy turned to the new voice, and was surprised to see Mirajane standing beside her. The white-haired bar maid was smiling sweetly at Lucy.

"Yo-You're the real M-Mirajane!" Lucy cheered like a schoolgirl. A chair smashing into the wall nearby drew Lucy's attention back to the guild wide brawl. "Don't we have to stop them?!"

"Don't worry," Mirajane replied sweetly. "This happens all the time. "And..."

Out of nowhere a bottle came flying in, and struck Mirajane in the head.

"KYA! Mirajane-san are you okay!?" Lucy screamed with a horrified look on her face.

But Mirajane was back up and smiling a few seconds later.

"...Besides, isn't this really fun?!" Mirajane said with a smile, as a small trail of blood tricked from her forehead.

"IT'S INSANE!" Lucy yelled, just as Gray landed next to her.

But Lucy now stood slack jawed, as Gray turned to face her. He was now completely naked, and he stood a mere few feet away from her. On the other side of the guild Natsu twirled Gray's boxers around his index finger triumphantly.

"You son of a bitch, not again!" Gray screamed, as he quickly covered himself.

Gray spotted Lucy and smiled at her.

"Excuse me miss, may I borrow your underwear?" Gray asked, but he was immediately met with Lucy's fist.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" Lucy screamed as she blushed madly.

Suddenly Lucy felt herself being scooped up and carried. She looked to see that Loke was carrying her in his arms.

"People with no grace are so annoying, don't you think?" Loke asked with a wink. "By the way, which modeling agency do you work for?"

"What the hell is going on!?" Lucy exclaimed, just as Loke was punched in the face.

Lucy quickly scrambled to her feet, and hid near the back of the guild.

"MEN FIGHT WITH THEIR FISTS!" Elfman exclaimed, as he rushed back into the brawl.

But Elfman hadn't ran more than ten feet before he met Natsu's fist.

"I said you're getting in our way damnit!" Natsu exclaimed, as he hit Elfman with a strong right hook.

"AH! It's so noisy. I can't even drink in peace." Cana said, as a vein bulged on her forehead. "It's time to end this you guys."

Cana suddenly pulled out a tarot card, and it started to glow with magical energy.

"I've had it!" Gray exclaimed as he punched a fist into his palm. Frost and ice formed in the air around his hands. "**Ice Make**..."

"RAAAH!" Elfman roared, as he raised his arm into the air. A magic circle surrounded his arm, and transformed his normal arm into a stone one.

"What a troublesome bunch of idiots." Loke said with a sigh, as he twisted the ring on his index finger. The ring started to glow, as a magic circle formed over it.

"COME AND GET ME! HAHAHA!" Natsu laughed wildly, as he engulfed his hands in flames.

"They're gonna use magic!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she felt the magic power in the room skyrocket.

"Oh my, it looks like things are getting a little out of hand." Mirajane said with a sweatdrop. "I hope Natsu will be okay."

Lucy turned her head, and gave Mirajane a questioning look.

_"Why is she focusing solely on Natsu?"_ Lucy thought with slightly narrowed eyes.

"THAT'S ENOUGH YOU IDIOTS!" A new voice boomed, as a monster sized foot slammed into the ground.

Lucy slowly turned around, and what she saw nearly made her pee her pants. Standing in the center of the guild was a massive shadowy figure, the figure was so tall that it almost reached the ceiling.

"CUT IT OUT!" The figure roared, making everyone freeze in place.

"HE'S HUMONGOUS!" Lucy screamed, as her eyes bulged.

"Oh, you were here Master Makarov?" Mirajane asked, as she looked up at the towering figure.

"That's this guilds master?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she pointed a shaky finger.

"HAHAHAHA! You were all scared shitless!" Natsu laughed with his hands on his hips. "I guess I win this one!"

Suddenly Natsu was crushed underneath the shadowy figure's foot. The towering creature turned it's head towards Lucy.

"AH! I see we have a newcomer."

"Y-Yes," Lucy stuttered out, as she started to shake uncontrollably.

Lucy was shocked when the massive figure started to shrink and shrink. After a few moments instead of a large, shadowy figure there was an extremely short old man.

"Nice to meet you," Makarov said with a wave. "And who might you be?"

Before Lucy could speak Natsu had run up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Jii-chan, this is my good friend Lucy HeartHMPH!" Before Natsu could finish, Lucy had slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Would excuse us for a sec?" Lucy said with a smile, before she dragged Natsu off.

"What are you doing you idiot?!" Lucy hissed, as she slapped Natsu's arm.

"I was introducing you." Natsu said with a confused look. "What? Was I not supposed to?"

At Natsu's look of utter confusion, Lucy was instantly regretful for getting angry at Natsu.

"No, it's not that Natsu." Lucy said with a sigh. "I just don't want people to know my last name."

"Why?" Natsu asked, as he raised a pink eyebrow.

"My family runs a very profitable and powerful company, so we have lot's of money." Lucy explained, as she looked at the floor. "I just don't want people to treat me special just because I'm a Heartfilia. I want them to treat me as my own person. I want this guild to know me not as Lucy Heartfilia, but just as Lucy."

Lucy was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Natsu smiling warmly at her.

"Don't worry Lucy I understand." Natsu said as he started to lead Lucy back towards Makarov. "I won't say anything, you can tell people when you're ready."

"Thanks Natsu," Lucy said, as she gave Natsu her own smile.

"No problem Lucy, we're nakama right?" Natsu said with a wide grin.

For some reason that word made Lucy's flutter, and a small blush spread across her face.

"Yeah, of course we're nakama Natsu." Lucy replied, as she tried to fight her blush.

Natsu and Lucy returned to Makarov, who was waiting for them patiently.

"Sorry about that," Natsu said, as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Like I was saying, this is my good friend Lucy."

"Hello!" Lucy said with a big smile, as she waved at Makarov. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, dear." Makarov said, before he jumped into the air.

Doing several flips through the air, Makarov was about to land on a railing on the second level. But he misjudged his angle, and hit the railing head first. After grumbling a few profanities, Makarov rose and stood on the railing. Sighing, Makarov pulled a large stack of papers out of his jacket.

"You've damn fools have done it again." Makarov said, as he shook the papers in his hand. "These are all complaints from the council."

Makarov then started to list all the complaints he had received. Gray had walked around a town naked after he had wiped out a smuggling organization, and he ran away after he stole drying underwear. Elfman assaulted the VIP he was assigned to escort, after the man told Elfman that "men were all about education." Cana drank fifteen barrels of alcohol, and charged them all to the council. Loke flirted with a council members granddaughter, and damaged a talent agency. After listing most of the complaints, Makarov hung his head and released a heavy sigh.

"...And then there's you Natsu." Makarov said, getting the dragon slayers attention. "You destroyed the Devon Thief Family, but also destroyed seven other houses. Then you leveled a historical clock tower in Tuly Village. Burning down a church in Freesia. Damaging part of Lupinus Castle. Nazuna Observatory has collapsed, and has stopped working, and lastly you destroyed half of Hargeon's port."

Lucy sweatdropped at Natsu, who was looking at the floor in embarassment.

_"So most of the articles in the Weekly Sorcerer were done by Natsu, huh." _Lucy thought, as Natsu kicked a small piece of debris in frustration.

"Everyone," Makarov called out, getting all the guild member's attention. "The council is seriously pissed off at me this time."

Makarov clenched his fist, and he started to tremble slightly. Lucy was afraid he was going to start yelling at them. But she was surprised when Makarov started to chuckle. Makarov raised the pile of complaints into the air. His hand was suddenly engulfed in flames, burning the papers.

"Screw the council." Makarov said, as he tossed the burning pile of paper. Natsu was quick to react, he ran up and grabbed the flaming pile of complaints. With a content smile, Natsu started to eat the flames. "Listen up you brats. The power to overcome reasoning comes from reasoning. Magic is not some miracle. When the magic flow within us connects with the magic flow in nature, they will form an embodiment for the first time. You all will need to have strong mentality, and a lot of concentration for that. I mean pouring everything you've got into something is the magic. If you're always worrying about being scolded by the higher-ups, you'll never improve your magic. So do not fear those idiots on the council."

Everyone one in the guild was grinning from ear to ear. This type of speech was a common thing for them, and they all knew how it would end.

"DO WHATEVER YOU THINK IS RIGHT!" Makarov cheered, as he raised his arms into the air. "THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FAIRY TAIL MAGE!"

The entire guild burst into a chorus of cheers and applause. Makarov's speech roared life back into the guild, and eventually everyone started partying.

* * *

Several hours later, after the party had died down. Lucy was placing her hand on a table in the guild, as excitement raced through her veins.

"Do you want it here?" Mirajane asked, with a magic stamper in her hand.

"YES!" Lucy exclaimed, as a grin spread across her face.

"And what color would you like?" Mirajane asked, as she flicked through a few different colors. "We've got a lot to choose from."

"Hmm," Lucy said, as she looked around. She was trying to find something to spark some inspiration for the color she wanted. The she saw it, across the guild hall Natsu was chatting with a few guild members, and shoveling flaming food into his mouth. "I'll take pink."

"Pink?" Mirajane questioned, as she followed Lucy's gaze. She saw that Lucy was gazing intently at Natsu, with a small smile on her face. Mirajane sighed as she pressed the stamper down onto Lucy's hand. It looked like she had another girl vying for Natsu's attention. Erza was bad enough already, but now she had to deal with this blonde newcomer. What surprised Mirajane was how close Natsu and Lucy looked already. Mirajane could remember Natsu mentioning Lucy once or twice off hand, but he hadn't seen her in years. But the minute Natsu and Lucy reunite, they're acting like they were long lost best friends or something.

_"Try as hard as you want Lucy, but I won't let you take him from me. The same goes for you Erza." _Mira thought with a smirk, as she walked back to the bar.

"Whoa!" Lucy's eyes were shining, as she gazed at the pink Fairy Tail marker on her hand. "Natsu! Look! Mira-san gave me a Fairy Tail marker."

"That's great Luigi," Natsu said, as he barely paid attention.

"IT'S LU-" But Lucy was cut off when Natsu quickly spun around to face her, a wide grin on his face.

"I was just kidding Lucy," Natsu said with a laugh. "That's great to hear though, and it looks good on you."

"T-Thanks," Lucy said with a blush, as she clutched the hand with her Fairy Tail marker.

"Welp, I guess I should go on a job." Natsu said, as he walked towards the request board. "I need to pay for food somehow."

Natsu's eyes narrowed, as he scanned over the wide variety of quests.

"Hey Mira, is Erza in town?" Natsu called out, as he picked up a request.

"No, she went a mission a day after you left. She wanted to do something to pace the time until you came back," Mirajane replied with a smile, as she wiped down a beer mug. "She should be back in a few days."

"Okay," Natsu said, as he grabbed another request. "160,000 jewels for exterminating some thieves, sounds like we have a winner."

Just as Natsu was about to hand the request to Mira, a small boy ran into the guild. The boy ran right through guild, and straight up to Makarov.

"Is my daddy back yet?" The small boy asked, causing Natsu to turn and look at him.

"Your father is a mage Romeo, have a little faith in him. So stop being annoying, go home, and wait for him." Makarov replied, in a calm tone.

"He said he'd be back in three day." Romeo said, as tears built up in his eyes. "But it's been a whole week since then."

_"Macao's job was at Mt. Hakobe, right?" _Natsu thought, as he watched Romeo plead with Makarov.

"It's not that far!" Romeo exclaimed. "Please look for my father!"

"No way! Your father is a competent mage!" Makarov said, making Natsu clench his fists. "We have no mage who can't take care of themselves. Just go home and play or something!"

Romeo fought back tears, as he started to shake. Suddenly Romeo started to glare at Makarov.

"IDIOT!" Romeo screamed, as he punched Makarov in the face. Wiping away his tears, Romeo ran out of the guild.

"Huh, I never thought it would be so strict here." Lucy said, as she sat at the bar.

"Master is like that sometimes, but he's actually very worried about Macao." Mirajane said, as she stocked a few shelves.

Natsu crushed the request in his hand, and slammed it into the request board.

"Hey! Natsu! Don't break the damn request board." Nab said, as he looked at the smashed portion of the request board.

"What's he doing?" Lucy asked, as she watched Natsu walk over and grab his pack up off the floor. Then Natsu silently walked out of the guild.

"Master, Natsu's gonna do something stupid," Nab complained.

"I can guarantee he's going to help Macao." Makarov said, as he smiled with a pipe still in his mouth. "No one can change Natsu's mind once he's dead set on something. So just leave him alone."

"That's strange, I've never seen Natsu act like that." Lucy said, as she took a sip of her drink.

"The same thing happened with Natsu." Mirajane said, as she filled a couple mugs full of beer. "Maybe he saw himself in Romeo-kun. Natsu's father hasn't come back ever since he disappeared seven years ago. Though by father, I mean a foster father."

"You're talking about Igneel and Valinor right?" Lucy asked, making Mirajane's eyes widen.

"Yeah, did he tell you about them already?" Mirajane asked with a surprised expression.

"Natsu told me that he was raised by two dragons, and that they had disappeared. But he didn't tell me that they had been gone that long." Lucy answered, as she looked down into her drink.

"Well Igneel found Natsu in the forest when he was little." Mirajane explained with a small smile. "Natsu learned words, cultures, and magic from Igneel. We're all Fairy Tail mages, and we all carry something...wounds...pain...suffering...Even I carry pain in my heart as well."

"Huh?" Lucy said, as she perked up a little.

"Oh, no it's nothing really." Mirajane said as he put on a fake smile, but Lucy could hear the pain in her voice.

"It's about Lisanna isn't it?" Lucy asked with a sympathetic look.

Mirajane gasped as she felt tears sting her eyes.

"H-How did you know?" Mirajane asked with wide eyes.

Lucy sadly smiled, and grasped Mirajane's hand.

"Natsu told me what happened." Lucy explained, as she gave Mirajane's hand a slight squeeze. "I'm so sorry for you loss Mira-san. If you ever need anyone to talk to I'll gladly listen with open ears."

"T-Thank you L-Lucy." Mirajane stuttered out, as she held back her tears.

After giving Mirajane's hand on more squeeze, Lucy stood up from her seat.

"Well I better head out." Lucy said, as she stretched.

"Where are you going?" Mirajane asked, as she wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

"I'm going to find Natsu," Lucy said with a smile. "Someone has to make sure that idiot doesn't blow up half that mountain. Bye Mira-san!"

With a quick wave, Lucy bolted out of the guild in search of Natsu.

_"Hmm, maybe she isn't so bad after all." _Mirajane thought with a small smile, as she watched the guild doors close behind Lucy.

* * *

After running for about five minutes, Lucy found Natsu on the outskirts of Magnolia. She spotted him just as he was stepping into a carriage. Right as the carriage started to move, Lucy quickly hopped inside surprising Natsu and Happy.

"Lucy?! What are you doing here?!" Natsu asked, completely shocked to see his blonde friend.

"What does it bother you?" Lucy replied with a smirk.

"N-No nothing like that!" Natsu quickly denied, as he waved his hands defensively.

"I'm just kidding Natsu," Lucy said with a chuckle. "I just wanted to come, and help you out. Also I had to make sure you didn't go overboard again."

"Oh, thanks LuHMPH!" Natsu was cut off as a sudden wave of nausea hit him.

Lucy sighed and patted her lap.

"Come on hothead, I'll help you out." Lucy said with a sympathetic smile.

"You're an angel Lucy." Natsu groaned out, as he laid his head in Lucy's lap.

"J-Just s-shut up, and relax." Lucy demanded, as her face turned bright red.

Like on the earlier train ride, Lucy started to gently run her fingers through Natsu's hair. They stayed like this for a majority of the carriage ride.

"Hmm I'll have to find a place to live after we help Macao-san." Lucy said mostly to herself after a while.

"You could live with Natsu and me." Happy suggested.

Lucy's face immediately flushed a deep shade of red at Happy's suggestion.

"T-Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather try and find my own place." Lucy said, as she tried to calm her blush.

A few moments later the carriage came to a stop.

"IT STOPPED!" Natsu yelled, as his head shot out of Lucy's lap.

"We're here already?" Lucy questioned.

"I-I'm sorry," Came the voice of the carriage driver. "I c-can't take you a-any farther with t-the carriage."

When Natsu opened the back doors to the carriage, they were hit with a strong gust of freezing wind. Natsu stepped out unfazed into the raging snowstorm, while Lucy started to shiver uncontrollably.

"What's going on?!" Lucy yelled over the harsh wind. "It's supposed to be summer time, why is there a raging snowstorm."

Lucy hugged herself to try and control her shivering.

"It's so cold!" Lucy said through chattering teeth.

"Well it's your fault for wearing so little." Natsu said, as he gestured toward Lucy's state of dress.

"It's not like you're all bundled up either!" Lucy screamed.

"My body is naturally heated, so I don't get cold." Natsu said with a grin.

"Can I borrow your blanket?" Lucy asked, as she pulled on the green blanket on Natsu's pack.

"Sure, just don't lose it." Natsu said with a smile.

Lucy immediately wrapped the blanket tightly around herself.

"I'm still c-cold." Lucy said in a dejected tone.

"Here," Natsu said, as he extended his arm. "Come closer, and you can share my body heat."

"N-NO! That's okay!" Lucy said, as her cheeks flushed in embarassment. "I-I have an idea."

Lucy reached onto her hip, and pulled out a silver key.

"**O-Open Gate of the Clock! Horologium!**"

A magic circle appeared in front of Lucy, as a grandfather clock materialized in front of her. The clock sprouted a pair of arms, leg, and a head. Before is stood up off the ground.

"WHOA! That's cool!" Happy cheered.

Lucy immediately crawled inside the clock, and wrapped herself in Natsu's blanket.

"I'll stay in here, she say." Horologium spoke for Lucy.

Natsu stared at Lucy for a moment before he shrugged. The dragon slayer started to walk in search of Macao, with Lucy and Horologium following behind him.

"What job did Macao-san come here for anyways? She says," Horologium asked.

"You came after me without finding that out?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow. "Macao came here to subdue the crazy monster, Balkan."

Lucy's eyes widened when she heard this, and she started to shiver in fear instead the cold.

"I want to go home, she says."

"You're free to leave anytime you want Lucy." Natsu said, as he turned to face her. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"I'll stay, because someone needs to keep an eye on you, she says."

"That's the spirit Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin. "MACAO! ARE YOU HERE! DID BALKAN KILL YOUR SORRY ASS?!"

Natsu's shouts echoed throughout the mountain, but he received no reply in return. Suddenly a large figure landed in front of them. It was a large, white humanoid monkey. The creature quickly took a swing at Natsu, but the dragon slayer quickly flipped out of the way.

"THAT'S BALKAN!" Happy screamed as Natsu and Balkan stared each other down.

Quickly rushing forward, Balkan shoved Natsu out of the way, and headed straight for Lucy.

"AH! A human woman!" Balkan cheered, as he hoisted Horologium over his shoulder. "I'm definitely taking you with me!"

"Natsu help, she says!" Horologium called out, as Balkan carried Lucy and him away.

"So he can speak huh?" Natsu said with a grin, as he punched his palm, flames licking at his hands. "Come Happy let's go save Lucy, and I guess we can save Macao's sorry ass as well."

"Aye sir!"

* * *

"How did this happen," Lucy cried, as she continued to hid inside Horologium. The celestial spirit mage watched as Balkan danced around her. "And why the hell is this stupid monkey so hyper?!"

Lucy pressed her face against the glass on Horologium's chest, and sighed deeply.

"Natsu please hurry." Lucy whispered, just as Balkan pressed his face against the glass.

"Woman," Balkan said, as he tapped the glass.

Suddenly there was a poof, and Horologium was gone, leaving Lucy unprotected against Balkan.

"WAIT! Horologium don't disappear!" Lucy screamed, as she backed away from Balkan.

"I'm sorry, but my time is up, farewell." Horologium said, before he completely vanished.

"I NEED AN EXTENSION! PLEASE GIVE ME SOME MORE TIME!" Lucy screamed, as she cowered before Balkan.

"Pretty woman," Balkan said, as he reached out to touch Lucy.

"Don't touch her you monkey bastard!" Natsu screamed, as he burst into the cave. **(A/N You have no idea how badly I wanted to make a Planet of the Apes reference, but I managed to restrain myself XD)**

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, as relief washed through her.

"Get the hell away from Lucy!" Natsu yelled, as he charged forward. "And where the hell is MacAHH SHIT!"

Natsu yelped as he slipped on the cave's icy floor. Doing several tumbles, Natsu slammed into the ice wall just past Lucy and Balkan.

"God damnit Natsu," Lucy said with sigh, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can you not make an ass of yourself for five minutes?"

"Hey you stupid monkey!" Natsu yelled, as he shook the ice shards from his hair. "Where is Macao?!"

"Huh?" Balkan said, as he turned away from Lucy to face Natsu.

"I know that you can understand me, I'm talking about Macao! A human man!" Natsu exclaimed, as he glared at Balkan.

"A man?" Balkan asked with a confused look, as he scratched his head.

"That's right!" Natsu said, as he pointed at Balkan. "Now where did you hide him you bastard?!"

"He thinks the monkey hid Macao-san?" Lucy asked herself, as her eyes suddenly widened. "Is Macao-san even alive?"

"Come, come!" Balkan said with a grin, as he gestured for Natsu to follow.

"I guess he understood me." Natsu said, as he followed Balkan.

The giant snow monkey lead Natsu to a hole in the whole. Once they reached the hole, Balkan pointed through it.

"What? Is he in there?" Natsu asked, as he peered through the hole.

Taking Natsu by surprise, Balkan grabbed the dragon slayer and threw him through the hole.

"YOU SNEAKY MOTHER FUCKER!" Nasty screamed, as plummeted down the mountain.

"NATSU!" Lucy screamed, as she shot to her feet.

"Me no like man," Balkan said, as he waved to the falling dragon slayer. "Me likes woman."

"NO! There's no way that Natsu is dead," Lucy said, stepping away from one of the openings in the wall. "We just reunited, and he's an amazing mage. He's fine, I know it in my heart that he's okay."

"Me no likes man. Me no likes man." Balkan chanted, pounding on his chest. "Woman, woman, woman."

"Woman! Woman! Is that all you can say you perverted bastard!" Lucy exclaimed, as she reached for a golden key. "What are you gonna do if Natsu got hurt?!"

Lucy grabbed Taurus' battle axe shaped key, and it started to glow with magical power.

"**Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!**"

"MOOO!" Taurus roared, as he rose out of the ground in front of Lucy.

"A bull?!" Balkan asked, glaring at Taurus.

"Taurus, the most power celestial spirit I have will fight you!" Lucy yelled, as she pointed at Balkan. "You pervy monkey!"

"Lucy-san! You have nice breasts as always. They're moo-re amazing than ever." Taurus said with heart filled eyes.

"Ugh I forgot, he's a giant pervert too." Lucy said, as she rubbed her temples.

"HEY! Don't take my woman!" Balkan roared, with an angry expression.

"My woman?" Taurus said, as he turned his head to glare at Balkan. "What you said is moo-st unforgivable."

"That's right Taurus! Kick his ass!" Lucy cheered.

"You should have said _my breasts _instead of _my woman_." Taurus said, as he stalked towards Balkan.

"WHAT THE HELL! That's so not right!" Lucy screamed, as she covered her breasts.

_"Horologium used up a lot of my magic power earlier. I just hope I have enough to make Taurus last for a while." _Lucy thought, as she clenched her fists.

"I'm moo-re than ready!" Taurus yelled, as he charged towards Balkan, raising his massive battle axe.

"How dare you push me off the cliff!" A menacing voice said.

Everyone turned to see a shadowy figure standing in the hole Natsu had been pushed out of.

"NATSU!" Lucy called out, as a wave of relief washed through her. "You're okay!"

"Hrm?" Natsu said when he spotted Taurus. "WHAT?! There are more monsters!?"

Natsu ran up and kicked Taurus in the face. His powerful kick sent the celestial spirit flying back. With a crash, Taurus impacted onto the ground.

"I can't...take anymoo-re." Taurus said weakly, as he slumped onto the floor.

"KYA! Natsu what the hell was that for!?" Lucy screamed at the dragon slayer. "And to think I was worrying so much about you!" Lucy fumed for a few more seconds, before realization hit her. "Wait, how did you survive?"

"It's all thanks to Happy." Natsu said with a grin, as he pointed to the flying blue cat.

"You're welcome Natsu!" Happy said, as he waved at Lucy.

"That's right Happy can fly." Lucy stated, as she waved back at the cat.

"Aye! It's my magic ability!" Happy said with a smile.

"Wait, you can't handle transport, but you're okay with Happy?" Lucy asked with a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked, as he quirked his head. "Happy isn't transportation, he's my friend. You're weird sometimes Lucy."

"R-Right, I'm sorry." Lucy said with a sweatdrop. "Tch, can't believe he called me weird again."

"Listen Lucy, all of Fairy Tail's members are nakama." Natsu explained, as he turned to face Lucy. "From Jii-chan, Mira..."

As Natsu continued his explanation Balkan started to approach him from behind.

"N-Natsu it's coming!" Lucy said, as she pointed at Balkan, but the dragon slayer wasn't paying attention.

"...Then that icy prick Gray and Elfman..."

"I GOT IT NATSU! JUST TURN AROUND!" Lucy screamed, as Balkan neared Natsu.

"...To Happy and you, Lucy, we're all nakama." Lucy's eyes widened when he quickly spun around. "That's why I'm bringing Macao home!"

Balkan reared up, ready to slam its fists down onto Natsu.

"**Lightning Dragon's Claw!**"

Natsu delivered an electrically charged roundhouse kick to Balkan's face. The attack sent the large snow monkey flying past Lucy.

"Now tell me where Macao, or I'll burn you black as charcoal and pump you so full of electricity that you'll explode." Natsu threatened, as flames burned in his right hand and lightning sparked off of his left hand.

Balkan quickly shot up, with electricity still coursing through its body. Reaching up, Balkan grabbed several sharp icicles off the ceiling. Rearing back, Balkan hurled the icicles at Natsu.

"HAHA!" Natsu laughed, as his body became encompassed in bright flames. "Your ice won't work on my fire!"

Balkan looked for another weapon, and spotted Taurus' axe laying on the ground. Grinning wildly, Balkan picked the axe up, and hefted it onto his shoulder.

"Oh shit, that looks painful." Natsu said, as he started to sweat a little.

"RAHHHH!" Balkan roared, as he charged Natsu.

The snow monkey started to swing the massive axe wildly at Natsu. But the dragon slayer was effectively dodging all of the attacks...until he slipped on the ice again.

"Fuck again!?" Natsu exclaimed, as he lost his footing.

Smiling in victory, Balkan raised the axe and swung downward at Natsu, who was lying on the floor. But Natsu managed to catch the axe just a few inches from his face. It immediately became a battle of strength and endurance, as Natsu tried to keep the large axe from impaling him. Seeing that Natsu was in trouble, Lucy quickly sprinted over to Taurus.

"Taurus! Wake up and go back to the celestial spirit world!" Lucy exclaimed, as she frantically shook the large cow man. "If you disappear, then your axe will go too."

"You're not winning this, you monkey bastard!" Natsu yelled, as his hands became engulfed in flames.

The blade in Natsu's hands quickly started to melt under the intense heat of his flames. Natsu began to eat the liquified metal that dripped down.

"No way, he's melting the blade." Lucy whispered in awe. "He's eating it too."

"Here I come!" Natsu exclaimed, as he tossed the melted axe to the side. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

Natsu cocked his flaming fist back, and punched Balkan in the face. Balkan went flying back into the wall, its face charred and burned.

"Uh, weren't you supposed to ask it where Macao-san is?" Lucy questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah shit! I forgot!" Natsu exclaimed, as the flames around his fist died out.

"Man, he's out for the count." Lucy said, as she scratched her head.

Natsu's eyes widened, as he watched Balkan slowly start to fall apart.

"GAH! What the hell is going on?!" Natsu screeched, as he jumped back.

When Balkan completely disappeared, Macao was left in his place.

"That monkey became Macao!" Natsu exclaimed in complete shock.

"Oh!" Happy cheered, as he jumped in the air. "So Macao was 'taken over' by Balkan."

"_Taken over_?" Lucy repeated with a confused look.

"It's a type of magic that let's you take over somethings body," Happy explained.

Just then the wall behind Macao gave out, and her fell through the opening.

"Son of a bitch!" Natsu exclaimed, as he rushed forward.

The dragon slayer managed to catch Macao's leg just before he was out of reach. But Natsu's momentum carried him through the hole as well. Luckily Happy was quick to react, and grabbed the back of Natsu's pants.

"I can't keep holding you two up!" Happy said through grit teeth. "My wings are about to disappear."

"SHIT! THIS ISN'T GOOD!" Natsu screamed, as he felt Happy's grip slipping.

"Don't worry guys!" Lucy exclaimed, as she grabbed Happy's tail.

"Lucy! Thank God you're here!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin.

"Crap you guys are heavy!" Lucy groaned out, as her muscles began to burn.

"No moo-re need to worry Lucy-san." Taurus said with a smile, as he began to pull everyone up.

"Thank you Taurus, you're just in time." Lucy said, as she let her aching muscles relax.

"BULL MAN!" Natsu cheered. "You're a good man!"

Taurus pulled everyone back into the cave, before he returned to the celestial spirit world. Natsu gently laid Macao on the floor, as Lucy began to inspect his wounds.

"Here," Natsu said as he handed Lucy a small box of medical supplies. "These should help."

"Thanks," Lucy said as she took the box. "It looks like he fought fiercely before he was taken over."

Lucy began to clean Macao's wound, and put bandages on him. She gently swabbed Macao's cuts with alcohol.

"This wound here is really serious." Lucy said, as she did her best to clean the large laceration on Macao's side.

After cleaning the wound, Lucy got a solemn look on her face.

"The wound on his side is too deep." Lucy explained, as she fought back tears. "We can't do anything else with the first aid kit we have."

Natsu sighed and raised a flaming hand.

"Wai-"

Lucy was cut of when Natsu pressed his flaming palm against Macao's side.

"What are you doing!" Lucy exclaimed in shock.

"I'm cauterizing the wound," Natsu explained. "It's the best we can do to keep right now! Just be a man, and take the pain Macao! Lucy hold his ass down!"

Macao began to wreath and scream in pain. Lucy did her best to hold the thrashing man down, as Natsu cauterized the cut on his side.

"Don't you dare die on us!" Natsu exclaimed, as sweat dripped off his brow. "Romeo is back home waiting for you!"

"GAH!" Macao roared in pain. "*Cough* *cough* shit...what a shame."

Wave of relief flowed through Natsu, Lucy, and Happy when they heard Macao speak.

"I managed to...get 19...of them." Macao said, his voice was hoarse and weak. "Ugh! I was taken over by the 20th one."

"I understand, but don't speak anymore!" Natsu exclaimed, his voice full of irritation. "Your wound might open up again!"

"_What?!...There was more than one of those monkey things?!" _Lucy thought, as her eyes widened. "_I can't believe Macao-san took on such a dangerous job by himself."_

"I'm so angry at myself." Macao said, as he put his face in his hand. "Damn it...How can I possibly face Romeo now?"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Natsu yelled in anger. "DO YOU WANT ME TO PUNCH YOU?!"

"Tch, you're the same as always." Macao said with a chuckle. "Now help me up, I have to get home to my son."

Lucy smiled, as she watched Natsu support Macao.

_"Amazing I'm really no match for them." _Lucy thought, as she quickly followed behind Natsu and Macao.

* * *

(Back in Magnolia)

Romeo sat on a bench outside the park in the center of Magnolia. He sighed, as he looked down at his feet.

"Dad, Natsu-nii, Lucy-nee please come back soon." Romeo said, as he felt teas sting his eyes.

"Hey buddy did you call for us?"

Romeo slowly raised his head to see Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and his father standing in front of him. A smile spread across Romeo's face when he saw his father. But then he remembers that all this was his fault. Romeo remembered how other kids kept on teasing him.

_"What's so great about Fairy Tail mages?"_

_"They're a bunch of drunk assholes!"_

_"No they're not!" _Romeo yelled at the kids that were picking on him.

_"Mages are cowards!"_

_"I'd rather become a knight when I grow up, not some stupid mage!"_

_"Mages reek like __alcohol."_

All these hurtful words stung Romeo, so later that night he confronted his father.

_"Daddy! Go do something great! Show those bullies that they're wrong!" _Romeo exclaimed, which shocked Macao greatly. _"I-I don't want us to be insulted like this forever!"_

Tears filled Romeo's eyes, as he saw that his dad was badly hurt.

"D-Dad...I'm so sorry...I" Romeo stuttered out, as he started to shake slightly.

Suddenly Romeo felt his father hug him.

"I'm the one that should be sorry Romeo, I made you worry." Macao said, as he held his son tightly. "I'm sorry that I scared you."

"I-It's okay...I'm the son of a mage after all." Romeo said, as he returned his father's embrace.

"Hey, if those little shits tease you again." Macao said, as smirked at Romeo. "Ask them if their old man can defeat 19 monsters by himself! Okay?"

Romeo grinned at his father, as a few tears fell from his eyes. When Romeo turned around her saw Natsu, Lucy, and Happy walking away.

"Natsu-nii! Happy! THANK YOU!" Romeo shouted to the retreating trio. "AND!...THANK YOU TOO LUCY-NEE!"

"Come Lucy," Natsu said with a grin, as he grabbed Lucy's hand. "Let's find you a place to live."

Lucy's face burned bright red, as Natsu lead her through the streets of Magnolia.

_"I haven't even been in Fairy Tail a day, and I've already had my first adventure." _Lucy thought with a warm smile, as she looked at Natsu. _"And it's all thanks to __you Natsu. Without you none of this would have ever happened, thank you."_

* * *

**And that's chapter 3 down! Wow that was a long one to write. I was planning to write the Dear Kabby Arc in this chapter too. But then this chapter would have been around 16-18 thousand words long, and it would have taken me a lot longer to get out. So instead I opted to just do the Macao arc. Remember that I'm gonna leave the poll up on my profile until the next chapter so please vote. So what did you guys thing. Please remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW I NEED FEEDBACK, BECAUSE IT MOTIVATES ME TO KEEP WRITING, and PM me any ideas you might have for this story. So until next time I'm outta here. **


	5. Chapter 5 Dear Kaby

**Holy shit! How does this story already have over 250 followers/favorites and ****almost 100 reviews?! You guys must really like this story! Well thank you all for being so patient and supporting this story. This chapter will feature the Dear Kaby arc, so a little more Naluness for you guys in this chapter. Then next chapter Erza will return. Well you guys voted, and it looks like I will be doing some of the filler episodes, OVAs, and omake chapter. When I do one of these it will either be a short, standalone chapter, or it will blend into a regular cannon chapter. So here's a list of fillers, OVAs, and omake chapters I plan to do.**

**OVAs: Memory Days, Fairies Training Camp, The Exciting Ryuuzetsu Land**

**Omake Chapters: Natsu and Asuka, Fairies' Penalty Game, Natsu vs. Mavis, Welcome to Fairy Fountain, Whose Clothes Are These, **

**Filler Episodes: Changeling, The Day of the Fateful Encounter,**** Special Request: Watch out for the guy you like, Rainbow Cherry Blossoms, Magical Ball, The Terror of Invisible Lucy, Eclipse Celestial Spirit Arc, and The White Silver Labyrinth**

**Note I might not be doing all of these, but I will try to do most of them. I was considering doing the Daphne Arc, but since it got so few votes I'll skip it. Also apparently the Key of the Starry Arc is an anime exclusive arc, which I didn't know(I only recently started reading the ****manga). Since that is a fairly long filler arc, I'm gonna skip that arc too. I was also thinking about doing the Fairy Tail movie, but I couldn't think of enough ways to distinguish my version from the actual movie, so I'm not gonna do the movie either. Since you guys had to wait a long time for this chapter, I'm gonna work on the next chapter immediately after this one so you won't have to wait as long for the new chapter. One last thing, I have two more polls that I'm gonna put up, but I'll wait to the end of the chapter to tell you guys about them. So with all of that out of the way let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does**

* * *

(The Next Day)

"I can't believe Natsu found me such a nice place." Lucy said with a content sigh, as she stepped out of her bathtub. She quickly dried her hair, and wrapped a towel around herself. "It's very spacious for only 70,000 jewels a month. There's plenty of storage space. Pure white hallways, the scent of fresh wood, a small old-fashioned fireplace, there's even a cooking stove! But the most importantly-"

However Lucy stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Natsu and Happy sitting in her living room. The dragon slayer was sitting on a, still plastic covered, couch. He was munching on a bag of chips, while Happy sat on the table in front of him eating a fish.

"How ya doing Lucy?!" Natsu said with a grin, as he waved at the blonde.

"KYA! MY ROOM!" Lucy screamed, as she ran up to Natsu and kicked him square in the face. "Why the fuck are you in my room?!"

The kick collided with Natsu, and sent him crashing into Happy. The pair were then sent flying into the wall across the room.

"God damn Lucy! You have one nasty kick." Natsu groaned out from the floor, rubbing his bruised face. "Anyway, I came over because I wanted to hang out with you."

"SO WHAT! Just because you want to hang out doesn't mean you can just break into my apartment!" Lucy exclaimed, as a fierce blush spread across her face.

_"I can't believe Natsu actually broke in just to hang out with me. That's actually kind of sweet." _Lucy thought with a soft smile. _"But I might as well keep acting angry for a bit." _

"Natsu! What you did is trespassing! Which is a crime!" Lucy yelled in fake anger.

"Man you're really hurting my feelings Lucy." Natsu said with a pout.

"I'm the one being violated here!" Lucy exclaimed with a huff, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

While Lucy was yelling at Natsu, Happy had snuck away. The blue cat went up to one of Lucy's walls, and began to claw the walls.

"Hey Lucy you have a really nice room here!" Happy said with a smile, as he continued to sharpen his claws on Lucy's white walls.

"AH! HAPPY! DON'T SHARPEN YOU DAMN CLAWS ON MY WALL!" Lucy screamed, as she ran over to where Happy was.

Right when Lucy was about to strangle Happy, she saw something that made her turn white. She spotted Natsu walking over to her desk across the room.

"Hrmm? What's this?" Natsu asked, as he picked up a stack of papers. "Huh, kinda looks like a nov-"

"NOOOOOO!" Lucy screamed, diving across the living room and snatching the papers out of Natsu's hands.

Lucy's whole body was flushed red in embarassment, as she clutched the papers protectively to her chest. She glared at Natsu, who was giving her a confused look.

"What is that Lucy?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm really curious now."

"Who cares what it is?! Please just go home!" Lucy exclaimed, as she waved her fist at Natsu.

"Are you writing a novel?" Natsu asked, making Lucy squeak and turn even redder.

"N-No, of course not!" Lucy stuttered out, as she held the papers in her hands even tighter.

"It's alright if you are Lucy." Natsu said with a grin. "I actually think it's pretty cool. I notice Levy trying to write her own stories all the time, but she can never get very far before she gives up. So I know it must take a lot of patience and talent to write a book."

"R-Really?" Lucy asked, as she felt her heart flutter a little.

"Yeah, I'm sure your book will turn out great." Natsu said, causing a massive smile to spread across Lucy's face. "But promise me one thing."

"Huh? What is it Natsu?" Lucy asked in a confused tone.

"Let me be the first person to read your book when it's finished!" Natsu exclaimed with a toothy grin.

"O-Ok," Lucy said as a new wave of embarassment hit her. "B-But it probably w-won't be finished for a-a long time."

"It will be worth the wait." Natsu said with a smile.

"J-Just please don't tell anyone at the guid yet. I'd die of embarassment if they found out." Lucy said, as she held her unfinished novel closer to her chest.

"Don't worry Lucy, I promise I won't tell anyone." Natsu said with a wide grin.

_"Oh God Natsu, do you even realize what you're doing to me?" _Lucy thought, as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. _"I think I have more than just a crush on you now Natsu. I-I think I'm starting to fall in love with you." _

_"God, what the hell is wrong with me?! I fucking hate reading, but here I am asking Lucy to let me be the first to read her book." _Natsu thought, continuing to smile at Lucy. _"But something is drawing me to make her happy, to see her smile. It kinda feels like something is pulling me towards her. I feel the same thing around Erza and Mira. I just have this urge to see them smile, and to never let them be sad."_

"Why are you two just staring at each other?" Happy asked, snapping Lucy and Natsu out of their thoughts.

"Uh...we weren't staring at each other." Lucy said with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah what Lucy said." Natsu quickly agreed with Lucy.

"You liiiiike each other!" Happy purred out with a grin.

"NO! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Both Natsu and Lucy screamed in unison, both their faces red from embarassment.

"Oh, you're already saying the same thing at the same time, how cute!" Happy exclaimed, causing Natsu and Lucy to turn a darker shade of red.

"SHUT UP!" Again Natsu and Lucy shouted in unison.

"HA! You did it again!" Happy said, pointing at Natsu and Lucy.

Natsu and Lucy turned to look at one another. As Lucy stared at Natsu, she became very aware that she was still only wearing a towel. With a squeak of embarassment Lucy shot to her feet.

"I'm going to get changed!" Lucy yelled, as she ran to her room. "Don't you dare come near my room, or I'll kill you!"

As Lucy slammed her door shut, Happy turned to look at Natsu. The dragon slayer was staring at Lucy's door, his face still flushed bright red. Natsu was zoned out, as he stared at Lucy's closed door.

_"Oh God Lucy was only in a towel that entire time. I barely even noticed." _Natsu thought, as a barrage of images of Lucy in only a towel flooded his mind. _"That had to be one of the hottest things I've ever seen. The only thing that even comes close to that, is when Erza and Mira did that bikini photoshoot for the Weekly Sorcerer. I'm never gonna get those images out of my head."_

"Hey Natsu?" Happy asked, saving Natsu from the waves of erotic images filling his head.

"Huh? What do you want Happy?" Natsu replied, shaking his head slightly.

"Do you really like Lucy?" Happy asked, making Natsu nearly choke on his own breath.

Natsu didn't answer immediately. He just continued to stare at Lucy's door for a few more moments. The dragon slayer suddenly sighed, and crossed his hands over his bare chest.

"I don't know Happy." Natsu answered, as he closed his eyes. "You've asked me the same question about Erza and Mira. I feel the same thing for them, as I do for Lucy. There's just this force that is telling me to make them happy. To never see them sad. It's such a strong pull I can't fight it, not that I really want to. It's just strange, I get all tingly inside when I'm around the three of them."

"Maybe it has something to do with you being a dragon slayer?" Happy suggested, rubbing a paw under his chin.

"That could be it, and since I was raised by two dragons this, whatever it is, could be stronger." Natsu said with a sigh, before a grin spread across his face. "Well whatever this pull is, I'm gonna keep them and the guild safe. I hate to see my nakama sad, especially those three. They all hold a special place in my heart." Natsu finished by pounding his fist over his heart. "I make this promise as Natsu Dragneel, as a dual dragon slayer, and as a Fairy Tail mage that I will protect the three of them and my guild at all costs!"

_"You're really growing up Natsu." _Happy thought with a smile, as he listened to the conviction in Natsu's words.

* * *

(Five Minutes Later)

Lucy eventually emerged from her room in a fresh pair of clothes. She was mildly surprised to see that Natsu and Happy hadn't been going through all her things, while she was getting changed. They were in pretty much the same spot they had been when she left. Both of them appeared to be talking when she exited her bedroom. So she quietly snuck past them into her kitchen. She pulled out a kettle, and prepared some tea for the three of them.

"Natsu! Happy! Come have some tea!" Lucy called out, as she set the cups on a small table in her kitchen. After a few moments Natsu and Happy walked into the kitchen. Happy quickly hopped up onto the table, while Natsu sat across from Lucy. "Sorry guys, but I just moved in so I don't have much furniture. There's not much for you guys to do around here, so please go home after you finish your tea."

"Man you're so mean today Lucy." Natsu said, leaning back in his chair.

"Aye!" Happy agreed after taking a sip of his tea.

"How am I the mean one!? I asked you politely to go home after you finish your tea!" Lucy exclaimed just as Natsu leaned back forward.

"AH! That's right!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin. "Show me all of your celestial spirits."

"NO! That will waste a ton of my magical power." Lucy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How many spirits do you have, Lucy?" Happy asked, setting his tea cup down.

"I have six in total." Lucy answered, as she pulled out her celestial gate keys. "These silver ones are the ones that you can buys in stores: Horologium the Clock, Crux the Southern Cross, and Lyra the Lyre." Lucy put away her silver keys, and held up her gold ones. "These gold keys are extremely rare. They open the gates of the Ecliptic Zodiac. I have three gold keys: Taurus the Bull, Aquarius the Water Bearer, and Cancer the Crab."

"CRAB!" Both Natsu and Happy yelled in excitement.

"Of course you two get excited over the stupidest thing." Lucy groaned, as ran her hand down her face. "Actually, now that I think about it, I never made a contract with Nicola, the Canis Minor. I bough him Hargeon before I caught up with you two." Lucy stood and grabbed the silver key off her keyring. "This is perfect timing! I'll show you guys how a celestial spirit mages and celestial spirits make a contract."

"Sounds awesome!" Natsu said in an excited tone, as he shot to his feet.

"Will the contract involve blood seals?" Happy asked in a frightened tone.

"Butt seals? That sounds kind of painful." Natsu said, rubbing his butt.

_"What the hell are those two talking about?"_ Lucy thought with a sweatdrop.

"We don't need blood seals or anything. Just watch me you guys." Lucy said, as she closed her eyes and held up the silver key. "I am the one who connects the road to the celestial spirit world. Thou shalt respond to my calling and pass through the gate." Natsu and Happy went wide-eyed when the room was filled with a bright, blinding light.

"**Open! Gate of the Canis Minor! Nicola!**"

The light intensified as a magic circle formed in front of Lucy. There was a loud poof, and the light began to die down. But what appeared wasn't what Natsu and Happy were expecting.

"Pun! Pun!" A short and stout white creature with bland eyes and a golden horn-like nose said, landing in front of Lucy.

"That's Nicola!" Natsu exclaimed in a shocked tone. The dragon slayer walked up to Lucy, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't feel too bad Lucy, you'll get it right next time."

"I did do it right you jerk!" Lucy exclaimed, scooping up the small spirit. She smiled and hugged the spirit. "AW! He's so cute!"

"Puuun."

"Uh, what is that thing exactly?" Natsu asked with a confused look.

"Nicola's gate doesn't take much magical power to open, so their popular as pets." Lucy explained, as she set the small white creature onto the ground.

"Uh, okay." Natsu said still slightly confused.

"Alright, let's move on to the the contract." Lucy said, pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil.

"Pun!" The spirit said, nodding his its head in agreement.

"What about Mondays?" Lucy asked, causing Pun to shake his head no. "Tuesdays?" This earned a 'yes' from the spirit. "Wednesdays?" Another 'yes' from the celestial spirit.

"This is rather boring, isn't it?" Natsu asked with a surprised expression.

"Aye." Happy quickly agreed.

"I can call you on Thursdays too, awesome!" Lucy smiled, as she put the paper and pencil away. "Okay, contract completed!"

"Pu! Puun!" The spirit exclaimed, as it started to explore the room.

"Well that was really easy." Natsu said, walking up next to Lucy.

"It may be easy, but it's extremely important." Lucy explained, turning to face Natsu. "Celestial spirit mages regard promises with the utmost importance. That's why I'll never break my promises."

"I see, that's pretty cool." Natsu said with a nod of his head.

"Oh yeah! I should name him!" Lucy said, as she looked at the celestial spirit.

"Isn't it's name Nicola?" Natsu asked, scratching his head.

"That's his generic name." Lucy said, rubbing her chin. Suddenly Lucy smiled and kneeled down onto the ground. "Come here, Plue!"

"Plue? That's an odd name," Natsu said.

"Well I think it sounds cute, right Plue?" Lucy asked the celestial spirit in her arms.

"Pun! Pu!" Plue said, nodding his head in agreement.

"Plue is the Canis Minor, right? Why doesn't he go woof, woof. It's really weird." Happy said, with a confused expression.

"Well you're a cat, and you don't say meow, meow." Lucy shot back, as Plue jumped out of her arms.

Suddenly Plue started to dance around, and make various hand gestures. Everyone stared at the celestial spirit with confused looks.

"What is Plue doing? Erm? Lucy asked, as she watched Plue dance around the room.

"PLUE! THAT'S A GREAT IDEA!" Natsu yelled, as he kneeled in front of Plue.

"No way, he understood what Plue was trying to say." Lucy said in a shocked tone.

"Celestial spirits, huh?" Natsu said, as he looked at Plue. "That spirit of yours, Taurus, really helped me back on that mountain."

"That's right! You should have more respect for celestial spirits. I mean Taurus' face is still swollen from that kick you gave him!" Lucy said, as she slightly glared at Natsu.

"I didn't you'd be coming with us to rescue Macao. But if you hadn't come with us Lucy, we would have been in danger." Natsu said with a serious look. "You may be weird sometimes, but you're a very reliable person."

_"Ugh, he's still calling me weird." _Lucy groaned out in her head.

"Hrmm?" Natsu said, rubbing his chin.

"What is it, Natsu?" Lucy asked just as Natsu stood back up.

"Okay! I've finally made up my mind! I totally agree with Plue's idea!" Natsu exclaimed, turning to grin at Lucy. "Lucy, you can join my team with Erza!"

"A team?" Lucy asked with a shocked look.

"AYE!" Happy cheered with a smile. "All the members of Fairy Tail are nakama, but we often make teams with the people we get along with. If you're on a team, difficult requests will be easier. Natsu has been on a team with Erza ever since he joined Fairy Tail. They've gone on a ton of missions together."

"That's a great idea, Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed with a wide grin. "It'll be fun to go on missions with you."

"All right it's decided then!" Natsu yelled, as he blew out a small stream of fire.

"Our contract is sealed then!" Lucy said with a smile, as she clapped her hands together.

"AYE SIR!" Happy cheered, jumping into the air.

"Well, let's get to work then!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin, slamming a piece of paper onto the table. "Here I already picked out a mission for us."

"My, you're working fast." Lucy said with a smile, as she grabbed the request off the table and began to read it. "Hm, Shirotsume Town huh...that's pretty close." Lucy's eye's widened when she read the request's reward. "WHOA! We just need to get a book from the of someone called the Duke of Everlue...AND GET 200,000 JEWELS!"

"Right, it's an easy job isn't it?" Natsu said with a grin.

However Lucy's eyes bugged out when she read the print near the bottom of the request form.

_"The Duke of Everlue. *Warning* This man is a womanizer, a pervert, and a hentai. He is now hiring a blonde-haired maid!" _

Lucy began to sweat as she slowly turned to face Happy and Natsu. She saw that they were both grinning at each other.

"Lucy has blonde hair." Natsu said with a wicked grin.

"Yup! Let's ask her to sneak in as a maid." Happy suggested with a grin of his own.

"You were planning this from the start weren't you?"

"Yes and No," Natsu said with a smirk as he rubbed his chin. "I was already planning on letting you join my team with Erza, but then I saw this request. I knew that you'd probably never agree to do this mission. So I had to trick you." Natsu's explained as his smirk widened. "I hear celestial spirit mages take promises and contracts very seriously, that's very admirable."

"You tricked me, how cruel!" Lucy exclaimed, glaring at Natsu. "That's not fair Natsu, you deceived me! You cheater!"

"Let's get going Lucy." Natsu said, walking towards her front door.

"But I don't want to be a maid!" Lucy whined, as she slowly trudged behind Natsu.

"Let's do some rehearsing. Start by calling Happy master"

"There is no fucking way I'm saying that to a cat!"

Back at the Fairy Tail guild hall, Levy and the rest of Team shadow gear, stood in front of the request board. The small girl was flanked on both sides by her long time partners Jet and Droy.

"Hrm? That job at Everlue Mansion for 200,000 jewels is gone." Levy said with a pout. "Did someone take it already."

"Yes, Natsu took it and said he'll take Lucy with him." Mirajane said with a smile, as she picked up a few empty beer mugs.

"*Sigh* I was thinking about taking that mission." Levy said, hanging her head in disappointment.

"Levy...maybe it's best that you didn't take that job." Makarov said from his spot on the bar.

"AH! Master Makarov." Levy exclaimed in surprise.

"That job just became a whole lot more troublesome. I just got in touch with client."

"Is the job cancelled?" Mirajane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Makarov answered as a smirk spread across his face. "The reward has been raised to two million jewels, or so I was told."

A collective gasp was heard around the guild, as everyone's eyes widened at this new information.

"That's ten times more!" Levy exclaimed in complete shock.

"Two million jewels for one book!" Jet yelled with wide eyes.

"Wh-Why all of the sudden?" Mirajane stuttered out, as fear filled her body. _"Natsu please stay safe."_

"That's almost the same reward as a subjugation mission, what's going on?" Droy asked, turning to his teammates.

"Tch, we missed a good mission." Levy said with a pout.

"Hm, seems things are starting to get interesting around here." Gray said with a smirk, as he took a drag of his cigarette **(A/N Yes, Gray does smoke in the early chapters of the manga. So he will be smoking occasionally in this story). **

On the outskirts of Magnolia Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were on a carriage bound for Shirotsume Town. In the carriage Lucy interlocked her fingers, and rested her head on her hands while she smirked at Natsu. The dragon slayer sat across from her, clutching his stomach in pain. Lucy had refused to help Natsu with his motion sickness on this trip. The celestial spirit mage was still a little peeved at Natsu, and decided that this was adequate revenge.

"How are you feeling on this _carriage_, master?" Lucy asked with a smirk, emphasizing the word carriage.

"I think I can already see a maid from the afterlife." Natsu groaned out, as sweat poured off his body.

"I am roleplaying as your master!" Happy shouted with an annoyed look.

"Shut up, you stupid cat!" Lucy exclaimed, before she rest her head against her seat.

_"Ugh, this is gonna be a long trip__." _Lucy thought, as she heard Natsu continue to moan in pain and Happy shout orders at her.

"Actually now that I think about it, this is gonna be a pretty easy mission, isn't it?" Lucy asked, tapping a finger to her chin.

"Huh? You seem to be rather interested in this job considering you didn't really like the idea." Happy said with a confused look.

"Of course! It's my first mission after all!" Lucy exclaimed with a smile, as she flexed and put a hand her bicep. "I'll do my best!"

"All I have to do is sneak into the mansion and get one book right?" Lucy asked Happy.

"Yep, all you have to do is sneak into that perverted, old farts mansion." Happy answered, raising his paw.

"Well, I'm pretty confident in my sexiness." Lucy said as she gave a sultry look, and pushed up her breasts, emphasizing their size. _"Ugh, I hate doing things like this for old perverts. I'd much rather use my sex appeal on you, Natsu." _Lucy thought with a slight blush dusting her cheeks.

"That's not understandable from a cat's point of view." Happy explained, making Lucy sweatdrop.

"But let me tell you one thing: For this job...since you guys won't be doing a whole lot we'll split the reward 7:2:1," Lucy said.

"Oh, you're okay with 1?" Happy asked with a smile.

"NO! I'm taking 7!" Lucy yelled with an annoyed look.

"J-Just hold on a m-minute...H-Happy and I...h-have...s-stuff to do, too." Natsu stuttered out in a weak voice.

"Oh, and what would that be?" Lucy asked with a skeptical look.

"We'll rescue you when you get caught." Natsu said, earning a glare from Lucy.

"I won't be making a mistake like that." Lucy said with an indignant expression.

"L-Lucy calm down," Natsu groaned out. "You never know what could happen on a mission. I'm just looking out for you, I want to keep you safe."

"Well I can take care of myself." Lucy said in an annoyed tone, as a blush spread across her face. But inside her heart was doing summersaults.

_"Again he goes saying things like this, that just makes my heart beat like crazy." _Lucy thought, as she smiled softly at Natsu.

"Oh God! I think I'm gonna hurl!" Natsu exclaimed after the carriage went over a particularly nasty bump in the road.

"I think that's enough punishment for now." Lucy said, as she patted her lap. "Come on Natsu, lay your head down."

"T-Thank you L-Lucy, you're to k-kind. I-I thought y-you were gonna s-stay mad at m-me." Natsu moaned out, as he switched sides and laid his head onto Lucy's lap.

_"Oh Natsu, I could never stay mad at you." _Lucy thought with a warm smile, as she ran her fingers through Natsu's hair.

* * *

(3 Hours Later)

"We're finally here!" Lucy exclaimed, as she stepped off the carriage.

"Ugh, I'm never riding a carriage ever again." Natsu said with a groan, holding his still aching stomach.

"You say that every time we ride in a carriage Natsu." Happy said, looking up at the dragon slayer.

"Anyways, I'm hungry. Let's find a restaurant and go get something to eat." Natsu said, as he began to search for any nearby restaurants.

"How about the hotel? Why don't we put our stuff away first?" Happy suggested.

"I'm not really that hungry." Lucy said, before she gave Natsu a confused look. "Why don't you just eat your own fire or lightning."

"What are you saying?" Natsu asked with a grossed out look. "Would you eat Tauros or Plue?"

"Of course not!" Lucy exclaimed with a horrified look.

"Well it's pretty much the same thing with my fire and lighting." Natsu explained, causing Lucy to sigh.

"You can't eat your own fire or lightning? That's pretty annoying." Lucy said with a shrug. "I'll go and check out the town for a bit. You two go eat."

"Wait!" Natsu called out, but it was too late. Lucy had already taken off down the street. "What the...it's more fun when we all eat together." Natsu said in a slightly sad tone.

"Aye!" Happy agreed. "Well let's get something to eat Natsu."

"Sure thing Happy. I saw a restaurant right over there." Natsu said, as he walked towards the restaurant with Happy in tow.

Ten minutes later Natsu and Happy were tearing into their food. Natsu was chowing down on a large turkey leg, while Happy was eating a decent sized fish.

"Hey Happy, remember to save some for Lucy. I bet she's gonna be hungry later." Natsu said, as he set some food off to the side for Lucy.

"Okay, she looks like she loves oily stuff." Happy said with a smile.

"*Sigh* Since when did I say that I liked oily stuff?" A voice said from behind Natsu and Happy.

"Oh Lu-" Natsu nearly chocked on the turkey in his mouth when he saw what Lucy was wearing. The celestial spirit mage was now dressed in a small maid's outfit. "Cy?"

"I do look good in just about anything." Lucy said with a sexy wink.

Natsu just continued to stare at Lucy. He couldn't stop his eyes from raking up and down her form, as he drank in her beauty. The dragon slayer could feel his face heating up, as images of Lucy filled his mind.

"How is your meal sir?" Lucy asked in sexy tone. "If you're still eating, please take your time."

_"Oh God, does she even realize what she's doing to me?" _Natsu thought, as he felt his erection straining against his pants. _"This is almost as bad, as when she only wearing a towel earlier." _

"Oh no! Natsu! I was just kidding about the maid thing earlier! But she went and took it seriously!" Happy whispered in a panicked tone.

Happy's words snapped Natsu out of his daze.

"Well, we can't tell her it was only a joke anymore. We'll just have to go with it." Natsu whispered back to Happy. _"But I really don't mind it." _

"HEY! I HEARD ALL OF THAT!" Lucy screamed with a annoyed look.

"W-Well Lucy let's going." Natsu said, putting some money on the table.

"Sure, whatever you say." Lucy said with an upset look.

_"Shit she's mad at me again." _Natsu groaned in his head. _"Ugh, there's that feeling again. I have to try make this up to her later." _

After walking through Shirotsume Town, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy found themselves in front of the home of their client.

"Wow this is a magnificent mansion." Lucy said in awe of the massive building. "Is it the Duke of Everlue's?"

"No it's actually the client's mansion." Natsu asked, as they walked up to the front door.

"That's right...someone who's willing to pay 200,000 jewels for a book must be rich." Lucy commented, just as Natsu started to knock on the door.

"May I have your name please?" I voice from inside the mansion asked.

"We're from the mage guild Fairy-"

Natsu was cut off when the voice from inside the mansion spoke up again.

"SHHH! BE QUIET PLEASE!" The voice from inside the mansion yelled. "Excuse me...but can you enter from the back door please?"

Lucy and Natsu shared a confused look, before they shrugged and walked around the mansion Entering through the back door, Natsu and Lucy spotted and older man and woman waiting for them.

"I'm terribly sorry about earlier. I'm your client Kaby Melon." Kaby said with a smile, gesturing for Natsu and Lucy to enter the mansion. "And this is my wife."

Kaby and his wife led Natsu, Lucy, and Happy into the living room. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy sat on one couch, while Kaby sat across from them.

"Huh, your name sounds delicious." Natsu said with grin, patting his belly.

"Melon!" Happy cheered, as he jumped into the air.

"Natsu! Happy! That's rude!" Lucy hissed in a low tone.

"AH! HA HA! People tell me that all the time!" Kaby said with a smile.

_"Hm, Melon? And this town's name...I know I've heard of them somewhere." _Lucy thoughts, as she rubbed her chin.

"I never thought a mage from the famous Fairy Tail guild would accept my request." Kaby said in a slightly surprised tone.

"Really? I was wondering why such an awesome job was still available." Natsu said with a toothy grin.

"You're really young, so you must be a famous mage." Kaby commented, gesturing to Natsu.

"Natsu is nicknamed the Salamander." Happy said with a smile.

"OH! Then I have definitely heard of you!" Kaby said, as he turned his head to look at Lucy. "And this is?"

"I'm a Fairy Tail mage too!" Lucy exclaimed in an annoyed tone.

"Then is that outfit your hobby or something? No I mean it's okay but..." Kaby said, giving Lucy a skeptical look.

"Kinda wanna go home now." Lucy said, hanging her head in disappointment.

Natsu felt a pain in chest, and he knew that he had to cheer Lucy up.

"Oh, don't worry Lucy. You look great!" Natsu said with a thumbs up.

"Thanks Natsu." Lucy said with a bright smile, perking back up.

"Alright now, let's talk about the job." Kaby said, intertwining his fingers.

"Sweet let's get to it." Natsu said, leaning forward.

"There is only one thing that I want you to do." Kaby explained, as he leaned forward as well. "The one and only copy of _"Daybreak" _is in Duke Everlue's mansion. I want you to find it, and burn it to a crisp."

"So...we don't have to steal it?" Natsu asked with a confused look.

"Well I'm asking you to destroy someone else's property without their permission." Kaby said with a smile. "So it basically is stealing in a way."

"That's weird, I thought you were gonna ask us to bring back a book that he stole from you." Lucy said in a confused tone.

"Burn it to a crisp huh, I'll just burn the whole damn mansion down." Natsu said, engulfing his right hand in flames.

"Yeah! That'll be easy!" Happy cheered.

"NO! We'll go to jail for sure!" Lucy exclaimed in a panic. "Hey..what is that book anyway?"

"Who cares!?" Natsu exclaimed with a grin. "We get 200,000 jewels to burn it."

"Actually," Kaby interjected getting the Fairy Tail mages' attention. "The reward has been raised to two million jewels."

"T-T-T-T-TW!" Lucy began to stutter uncontrollably.

"TWO!" Happy exclaimed wide eyed.

"MILLION!" Natsu yelled, his eyes bugging out. "WHAT THE HELL!"

"My, my... you three didn't know about the reward increase?" Kaby asked in an amused tone.

"2 million!? If we divide that by three!" Natsu exclaimed, as he tried to calculate the number in his head. "I can't even think of what the number might be!"

"It's easy Natsu. I get 1 million, you get 1 million, and the rest is for Lucy." Happy explained, his eyes still wide from the shock.

"You're so sma...Hey wait, Happy that doesn't sound right." Natsu said with a confused look.

"Yeah! That will leave nothing for me, you stupid feline!" Lucy exclaimed, glaring at Happy.

"Hey now, please calm down." Kaby said with a sweatdrop.

"Wh-Why would you increase it to 2 million all of a sudden?" Lucy asked with a worried look.

"That book needs to be destroyed." Kaby answered in a low tone. "I can't stand that book existing in this world."

Lucy's eyes widened when she heard this. But Lucy began to sweat when she felt the temperature in the room increase. She looked beside her to see that Natsu had engulfed his body in flames.

"OHHH!" Natsu yelled, jumping to his feet and grabbing Lucy's hand. "Let's go Lucy! I'm all fired up!"

"H-Hey!" Lucy exclaimed, as she struggled to keep up with Natsu's pace.

_"He can't stand the existence of a book? What did he mean by that?" _Lucy thought as Natsu dragged her through the mansion's front doors.

"Darling," Kaby's wife said, looking down at her husband. "Are you sure that we can trust this job to those kids? Another guild failed this same mission just last week. From the Duke of Everlue's point of view, it was just a failed robbery. But there is no doubt that he has increased his security since then. Getting into that mansion will be much more difficult."

"I know," Kaby said with a sigh, as he put his head in his hands. "I know that...but...I need to have that book destroyed."

* * *

(5 Minutes Later)

"Excuse me," Lucy said in a cute voice as she stood in front of the gates of the Duke of Everlue's mansion. "I'm here to apply for the blonde-haired maid position. Excuse me, is anyone home?"

_"HA! This'll be so easy! All I have to do is get in, find this book, burn it, and get 2 million jewels! Oh, I wonder what I should buy with that much money?" _Lucy thought with a smirk.

"I know you can do this Lucy." Natsu whispered from behind a tree.

"Good luck." Happy said from behind Natsu.

Lucy squeaked when the ground next to her began to rumble. A few moments later, a massive, hideous pink-haired maid burst out of the ground next to Lucy. The maid glared at Lucy, as she towered over the celestial spirit mage.

"Oh? You're a maid applicant?" The pink-haired asked with a skeptical look. "There's a girl who came here to apply for the maid position, my master."

The ground began to rumble again, as a second figure burst out of the hole. A short, ugly, egg shaped man landed next to the pink-haired maid.

"You called me!" The Duke of Everlue exclaimed with a creepy smile.

_"Oh God it's him." _Lucy thought, as a shiver ran down her spine.

"Let me see you." The duke said, as he began to inspect Lucy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Lucy said, forcing a sweet smile onto her face, but on the inside she was trying not to punch the perverted old man who was eyeing her.

_"Man this guy is giving me the creeps." _Lucy thought, as she felt goosebumps form all over her body. _"Just stay calm Lucy." _

"Ugh! Rejected!" The Duke of Everlue said, as he waved Lucy off dismissively. "Go home ugly!"

"Ug-" Lucy said in an enraged tone, as she prepared to strangle the duke.

"That's it. Time to go home, ugly." The large, pink-haired maid said, picking Lucy up.

"For someone as great as I am-" The duke said, as four more burst out of the ground around him. Surrounding the Duke of Everlue were the most hideous girls that Lucy and Natsu had ever seen. "Only beautiful girls will suit me."

"My, my master!"

"You're flattering us!"

"Thank you for the compliments, master!"

"Go home, ugly!"

"NOOOO!" Lucy screamed, as she throw out of the mansion.

The Duke and the rest of his maids left as soon as Lucy cleared the mansion's gate. Natsu quickly jumped out, and caught Lucy before she could hit the ground. The dragon slayer immediately noticed that Lucy looked like she was about to cry. So he gently set her down, so that she could change out of her maid uniform. After changing Lucy sat with her back pressed to a tree with her knees tucked up to her chest.

"Tch, what an asshole." Natsu said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well that was pointless, sorry about that Lucy."

"It's not your fault Natsu." Lucy said with a sigh. "It's just that, that guy's sense of beauty is seriously fucking messed up. I mean you saw all those other ugly ass maids right?"

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I thought you looked cute in that maid outfit." Natsu said with a slight blush across his face.

"T-Thanks Natsu, that means a lot to me." Lucy said, as she felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest.

"Well then, it's a change of plans: Time for Operation T" Natsu said with a wicked grin, as he cracked his knuckles.

"I'll never forgive that fucking pervert!" Lucy exclaimed, raising her fist into the air.

Inside the mansion, the Duke of Everlue sat in a chair, smoking a cigar. He was flanked by two, tall shadowy figures.

"Mages came again in spite of what happened last time. And that mark, it's Fairy Tail this time. That bimbo was dumb enough not to hide her guild mark." The Duke grinned, as he leaned forward in his seat. "Now...how should I kill these mages this time?"

* * *

(10 Minutes Later)

"You're wings aren't gonna disappear yet, right?" Lucy asked, as Happy flew her up to the mansion's roof.

"Aye!" Happy said, as he landed Lucy onto the roof. "We're here."

"Thanks Happy," Lucy said as she smiled at the blue cat.

"Why the hell do we have sneak in?" Natsu asked in an annoyed tone, as he looked through a window.

"Isn't it obvious? Although it's someone's request, what we're doing is basically robbery." Lucy explained, putting her hands on her hips.

"Aw man I wanted to blow the house up, and burn the book." Natsu whined with a childish pout.

"NO! I said you can't do that!" Lucy exclaimed, as she looked at Natsu. "I don't care how many thieves and monsters you've taken out, the target this time is this town's most influential man. Even if he's an annoying pervert, he's not a villain. If we do something wrong the military will take action."

"What now? You were the one who said you'd never forgive him." Natsu said, raising a pink eyebrow.

"Of course I'd never forgive him! He said such awful things to me!" Lucy said with a tic mark on her head. "So after we burn his book, I'll hide his shoes or something."

"Wow that's pretty lame." Natsu said in a deadpanned tone.

"Either way no violence." Lucy scolded, wagging her finger at Natsu.

Natsu barely paid attention, and stared off into space with a bored look on his face.

"What is up with that face!" Lucy exclaimed, as she was about to smack Natsu.

"Your words don't really match your action, you know?" Natsu said, making Lucy stop mid-swing. "Well let's get started then."

With a groan Natsu made his way over towards a nearby window. Heating up his hand, Natsu started to melt the glass window. Finding the look, the dragon slayer flipped it, and opened the window.

"Nice job Natsu." Lucy said with a grin, as she followed Natsu into the mansion.

Lucy hopped into the room Natsu had opened. It was filled with various miscellaneous items.

"Is this a storage room or something?" Lucy asked no in particular, as she looked around the room.

"Hey Natsu, look at me!" Happy cheered, as he put a skull on his head, like a mask.

"HA! That's suits you Happy." Natsu said with a grin.

"Let's sneak through that door over there. Be careful!" Lucy said, as she made her way towards the closed door.

"Hey Lucy, lookie here." Happy said, trying to get Lucy's attention.

"Shoo cat!" Lucy said, pushing Happy away. "And take that thing off, it's creepy."

Lucy poked her head through the door, and scanned up and down the hall. Spotting no one she snuck out into the hall, with Natsu and Happy behind her. The trio snuck down the hall to the closest room.

"Hey Lucy, don't tell we're gonna check every single room like this?" Natsu asked in an annoyed tone. "Because I have a really bad urge to blow something up."

"We are gonna search every room!" Lucy hissed, silencing Natsu. "And you're not blowing anything up!"

"Wouldn't be faster to find someone, and ask them where the book is?" Natsu suggested, as they exited a room they had just searched.

"We'll just complete the mission unnoticed. Doesn't that sound cool? Kinda like ninjas." Lucy said, making Natsu and Happy's eye shine.

"Whoa, we can be like ninjas." Natsu said with a grin. "Okay we'll keep doing it your way for now Lucy."

The floor in front of the Fairy Tail mages suddenly exploded, as the five maids from earlier appeared. They were all brandishing weapons, except for the large pink-haired maid.

"We've found the intruders!" The pink-haired maid exclaimed.

"Oh shit!" Natsu yelled, as he went wide-eyed.

"They've found us already!" Lucy exclaimed, as she reached for her keys.

"Eliminate the intruders." The pink-haired maid said, as she charged forward.

Natsu quickly wrapped his scarf around his face, until only his eyes were showing. The dragon slayer then charged towards the advancing maids.

"**Lightning Dragon's Claw!**"

A thunderclap resounded throughout the hall, as Natsu hit four of the maid's with an electrically charged roundhouse kick. Streaks of electricity filled the air in the wake of Natsu's kick.

"I won't let you escape!" The pink-haired maid roared, as she prepared to tackle Natsu.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

Natsu wheeled around and punched the gorilla like maid in the face with a flaming fist. The maid was sent crashing over the railing, onto the floor below them.

"What the hell Natsu?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she looked at the carnage that the dragon slayer had caused.

"We can't let that old pervert know that we're here yet. Nin nin." Natsu said, as he held up a hand sign.

"You were so noisy, that he defiantely knows we're here now." Lucy's eyes widened, as she grabbed Natsu by the back of his vest, and she started dragging him with her. "Shit! I bet someone else is coming after us! Let's head into another room!"

"If they want to come, let them come!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin.

"Whatever, we just have to hide!" Lucy said, as she pulled them into a side room. "*Sigh* That was close."

"Whoa! Look at all these books!" Natsu said, doing a 360 to look at the vast selection of novels.

"The Duke of Everlue may look stupid, but he does have a pretty good taste in literature." Lucy commented, as she scanned through the array of books. "If he actually reads all of these, I'll respect him a little bit."

"Alright! Let's find this book!" Natsu exclaimed, as he too started to search through the books. "Oh, I found a really perverted book here!"

"And there goes any respect I had for him." Lucy said with a sigh, as she put another book back onto the shelf. "It's gonna be a pain in the ass to find one book among all these."

"What the hell! This is all words!" Natsu said, as he flipped through a book.

"Uh, that's normal Natsu." Happy said, earning a pout from Natsu.

"Well they could at least put a few pictures in." Natsu said, putting the book back on the shelf. "Oh...HEY! I found it!"

Lucy went wide-eyed when she saw Natsu hold up a golden book. She raced across the room, and took the book from Natsu.

"Are we really allowed to find it so easily?" Lucy asked, as she stared at the book in her hands.

"Alright, let's burn it then." Natsu said, as beheld up a flaming hand.

"W-Wait a minute!" Lucy exclaimed, as she read the books author. "Th-This author is Kemu Zaleon!"

"Kemu Zaleon?" Happy parroted with a confused look.

"He was a mage as well as an author!" Lucy said with stars in her eyes, as she held the book over her head. "I'm a huge fan of his! I thought that I read all of his books. Does this mean this one is one of his unpublished works?!"

"Whatever it is let's burn it." Natsu said, making Lucy hold the book protectively.

"What are you talking about!? This book is cultural heritage! There's no way we can just burn it!" Lucy exclaimed, as she backed away from Natsu.

"You're abandoning your job, Lucy." Happy commented, earning a glare from Lucy.

"HEY! I said I was a big fan of his!" Lucy yelled, waving her fist.

"Now you're angry at us...?" Happy said with a sigh.

"Why don't we just pretend that we burned it? Then I can keep the book." Lucy suggested with a hopeful look.

"Sorry Lucy, but I don't like to lie." Natsu said, shaking his head.

"Did you hear me! This is the only copy of this book in the whole world! If we burn it, I won't be able to read it!" Lucy explained, trying to convince Natsu.

"I see, I see." A voice from underneath the trio said.

The ground next to Natsu and Lucy burst, as the Duke of Everlue burst out. "So that's what you're after."

"See...this is what happens when you hesitate!" Natsu said, as he stood in front of Lucy protectively.

"S-Sorry," Lucy said sheepishly.

"Hmph, I was wondering what all those mages were searching for." The Duke said, landing in front of Natsu. "An it was just that useless book."

"Worthless book?" Lucy said with a confused look. _"The client was willing to pay 2 million jewels to destroy this book. And the owner Everlue said it's worthless." _

"S-So can I keep it then?" Lucy asked with a hopeful look.

"No," The Duke replied in a snotty tone. "Regardless of how worthless that book is, it still belongs to me."

"You're a stingy old pervert." Lucy shot back, as she glared at Everlue.

"Shut up ugly!" Everlue shouted, making a tic mark form on Lucy's head.

"All we have to do is burn the book, and we'll be done here." Natsu said with a bored look.

"No! We're absolutely not burning this book!" Lucy exclaimed, hugging the book close.

"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, startling the celestial spirit mage. "I know that this book is special to you, and under any other circumstance I would let you keep it. But it is our job to destroy it!"

"Then at least let me read it first." Lucy said, dropping to the ground and opening the book.

"HERE! RIGHT NOW!" Natsu exclaimed in shock.

"Bullshit! I don't like this one bit! How dare you touch a book that belongs to the Duke of Everlue!" The Duke exclaimed, as he gave a hand signal. "Come, Vanish Brothers!"

A set of bookcases next to Natsu began to part, revealing a set of stairs. Descending the stairs were a pair of shadowy figures. One of the figures was extremely tall, while the other one was average height.

"It's finally time for us to get down to business." The shorter figure said.

"If we got paid without doing actual work, mama would get mad at us." The taller figure said.

When the shorter figures came into the light, Happy gasped. The shorter figure had a mostly shaved head, with a long dark-haired braided ponytail, reaching down to his back. He was wearing a white and green tunic, and a pair of black pants. He was also carrying a massive frying pan. The larger figure had dark curly hair that jutted out in four tufts, with a red and black bandana tied around his forehead. He was wearing a blue and yellow sweatshirt, and a pair of light blue pants. But what stuck out the most were the cloth bands tied around both figures arms. The cloth had a picture of wolf on it.

"Good afternoon, everyone." The smaller man greeted, with the frying pan behind his back.

"These pipsqueaks are Fairy Tail mages?" The larger man said in a skeptical tone.

"Look at those bands on their arms!" Happy exclaimed, pointing to the cloth on both men's arms. "They're from the mercenary guild Southern Wolf!"

"Hm? So he hired guys like that, huh?" Natsu said, as he stared down the mercenaries.

"Souther Wolves are always hungry! Prepare to die you fools!" Everlue cheered, as the mercenaries walked past him.

While this whole exchange went on, Lucy continued to read _"Daybreak."_ Everyone stared at the blonde in shock.

"HEY!" They all yelled in unison.

"Is this some kind of joke?" The shorter mercenary asked with a tic mark.

"They claimed to be Fairy Tail mages?" The larger mercenary asked, with a sweat drop.

"Vanish Brother! Get my book back, and kill these brats!" Everlue exclaimed in an angry tone.

"This," Lucy said as she shot to her feet. She quickly started to make her way towards the door. "Natsu! Buy me some time! This book seems to hold some kind of secret!"

"Sure thing Lucy!" Natsu said with a grin, as he turned to face the Vanish Brothers. "Like I said, I've been dying to blow something up."

"A secret, huh?" Everlue said, scratching his chin.

_"S-Secret?! I didn't notice anything when I read it. M-Might there be a treasure map or something." _Everlue thought, as dollar signs flashed in his eyes. _"I-I've got to act quick!"_

"Change of plans!" Everlue exclaimed, as he started to tunnel into the ground. "I'll go after the girl. You two stay, and destroy this brat!"

"*Sigh* Selfish clients wear me out brother." The smaller mercenary said.

"Yeah, for real." The larger mercenary agreed.

"Happy, go and help Lucy." Natsu said, making Happy's eyes widen.

"Your opponents are two of the Southern Wolves!" Happy exclaimed in a worried tone. "I'm gonna stay and help you."

"Tch, just myself will do. I'll be finished with these bastards in time flat." Natsu said, as he started to stretch.

"Huh!? You bastard! I'm gonna tell mama!" The large mercenary exclaimed in anger.

"Calm down brother, we'll deal with this trash." The shorter mercenary said, holding out his hand and blocking the larger mercenary.

"Alright Natsu, be careful!" Happy yelled as he flew off to find Lucy.

"Sure thing! Keep Lucy safe!" Natsu said, as he waved to happy over his shoulder.

"C'mon 'fire' mage." The smaller mercenary said, challenging Natsu.

"How did you know that I use fire?" Natsu asked the mercenary.

"We saw just about everything on a surveillance lacrima." The mercenary explained. "That blonde girl is a...keyholder type. A celestial spirit mage, isn't she? With seven keys. The cat that flies with wings in the sky in no doubt an ability type, wings. And you, you melted glass and took out that pink-haired maid with a flame covered fist. You're most likely an ability type, a flame mage."

"You observed us fairly well." Natsu said with a grin. _"But I guess you didn't notice that I can also use lightning magic."_

Natsu held up a hand, and engulfed it red hot flames. The smaller mercenary smirked in amusement.

"I guess that means your prepared to end up completely charred, right?" Natsu asked, as he clenched his flaming fist.

"Unfortunately I'll have to decline." The smaller mercenary replied, pulling out his massive frying pan. "Because flame mages are easiest kind of opponents for me."

"Is that so?" Natsu asked with a bored look. But then a wicked grin spread across his face, as he replaced the fire surrounding his fist with coursing electricity. "What about lightning?"

"WHAT?!" The smaller mercenary yelled in shock.

"Oh, you must have missed that I can use fire _and _lightning magic." The dragon said, as his grin widened. Electricity traveled along Natsu's hand towards his fingers. The electricity spelled the words 'come on' along Natsu's finger tips. "You two are in trouble, because now I'm all fired up!"

Natsu inhaled deeply, causing electricity to spark around his mouth. Both mercenaries stepped back in fear, as Natsu's cheeks swelled with powerful electricity. The air in the room filled with static electricity, making the mercenaries' hair stand on end. A ring of raw lightning formed around Natsu, as he cupped his hands over his mouth, forming a funnel.

"**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**"

A deafening thunderclap was heard, as Natsu fired a massive beam of concentrated lightning from his mouth. The smaller mercenary raised his frying pan to block the lightning, which proved to be a horrible mistake. As soon as the lightning hit the large frying pan, the mercenary howled in pain. He began to shake violently, as lightning coursed through the frying pan into his body. After a few more moments of shaking, the smaller mercenary fell over unconscious.

"BIG BROTHER!" The larger mercenary screamed, as he watched his brother spasm slightly from the electricity still in his body. "I'LL KILL YOU! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"Oh! You want to play now too?!" Natsu asked with a feral grin, as he took a fighting stance.

The large mercenary swing his fist wildly at the dragon slayer in a blind fury. But Natsu easily ducked underneath the sloppy punch. He quickly coated his fist in flames, as he came back up.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

Natsu delivered a powerful flaming uppercut, that sent the larger mercenary into the air. "One more, to finish this guy off!"

Again Natsu inhaled deeply, but this time flames surrounded his mouth. The temperature in the room rose drastically, as Natsu's cheeks swelled with searing fire. The dragon once again formed a funnel over his mouth, a ring of red hots flames surrounding him.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**"

A stream of scorching flames was shot at the, still, airborne mercenary. The fire hit the mercenary, causing a blinding explosion. Glass shattered and books were scattered everywhere, as the explosion destroyed the whole room.

"Welp, I may have overdid it again." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head. "I better go find Lucy and Happy."

The dragon slayer never noticed that the pink-haired maid's eyes shot open.

* * *

(Same Time; In Another Part of the Mansion)

Lucy was slightly sweating, as she flipped through the last few pages of _"Daybreak." _Her **Gale-Force Reading Glasses **allowed her to read the book at a remarkable speed. Finishing the last sentence, Lucy closed the book. With a sigh took off her glasses. and rested her head against the wall she was sitting against. The celestial spirit mage had hidden in the sewers underneath the mansion.

"I...I had no idea that this book held such a secret." Lucy said, looking down at the book in her hands. "I can't...burn this book. I have to give it to Kaby-san."

Lucy stood up and was prepared to look for Natsu. But a voice coming from the walls stopped her in her tracks.

"Ha, ha! Using **Gale-Force Reading Glasses**..." The voice said, as a pair arms shot out of the wall behind Lucy. "You really are a great reader, aren't you?"

"Shit!" Lucy exclaimed, as a hand wrapped around her wrists. A clanking sound was head when Lucy's keys fell to the floor.

"Now brat, do tell. What did you find in that book?" Everlue asked, as his head appeared next to Lucy's hips. Lucy grunted in pain, as Everlue pulled her arms back painfully. "What is the book's secret?"

"Y-You're a pathetic piece of trash!" Lucy said through clenched teeth, pain shooting through her body. "You are an enemy of literature!"

"An enemy of literature?! You're saying this me?! A great and highly educated man!" Everlue exclaimed angrily.

"How can a man who is happy to have a bunch of ugly ass maids be highly educated?" Lucy insulted, making Everlue pull her arms back even farther.

"Don't insult my beautiful maids, you hag!" Everlue exclaimed, causing Lucy's eye to twitch. "If you don't tell me the secret I'll break your arms."

"Go to hell you bastard!" Lucy exclaimed, as she fought against Everlue's strong grip.

"That is my book! I made Kemu Zaleon write it!" Everlue roared in an angry tone. "So the secret of the book is mine too!"

Lucy looked at her feet, and spotted her keys next to her right foot. When Lucy raised her head back up she had a smirk on her face.

"Now Happy!"

"Who are yo-" Everlue was cut off when Happy flew in, kicking him in the face. The force of the kick caused Everlue to release Lucy from his grasp. Lucy jumped away from the duke and grabbed her gate keys off the ground.

"That was awesome Happy!" Lucy exclaimed with a wide grin.

"No problem LuAH!" Happy screamed, as his momentum carried him into the sewage behind Lucy.

"Jeez, what the hell is up with that cat!?" Everlue grunted out, as he wiped dust of his suit.

"The tables have turned you old pervert! If you give me this book, I may forgive you! Though I promise to punch you at least once." Lucy said with a grin, as she held up a golden gate key.

"Oh ho! You're a celestial spirit mage, huh?" Everlue asked, mirroring Lucy's grin. "You say you're a fan of literature, yet you're using that phrase wrong. You should only say "the tables have turned" when your position has turned from a disadvantage to an advantage." Everlue smirked as he began to sink into the ground. "Anyhow you won't be able to beat my **Earth **magic just because you have a cat now!"

"So he was using magic." Happy said, pulling himself out of the sewage. "Wait! Everlue is a mage as well?!"

"I was written in this book!" Lucy exclaimed, as she dodged an uppercut from Everlue. "This is an awful adventure novel with Everlue as the main character."

"It's wonderful that I'm the main character. But the rest of the book is trash." Everlue said, diving in and out of the ground. "He is Kemu Zaleon yet he wrote this piece of shit! Outrageous!"

"You forced him to write this book, you bastard! How can act all high and mighty!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she ducked behind a grate. But she had to quickly dodge, as Everlue came crashing through the grate head first.

"I am high and mighty you brat!" Everlue said with a grin, shaking the debris of himself. Everlue then started to tunnel back into the ground. "Kemu Zaleon should have been honored to write a book about me!"

"You threatened to withdraw the citizenship of his whole family, if he didn't write this stupid book!" Lucy yelled in an angry tone.

"Well in the end, Kemu gave up and wrote the it!" Everlue exclaimed, as his hand burst through the ground and grabbed Lucy's leg. "Since he first rejected to write the book, I made him write it in a solitary cell. HA, HA! I crushed his pride as a distinguished writer!"

"That's it, I've had enough of your egotistical bullshit!" Lucy screamed as she stomped on Everlue's hand repeatedly. Her heeled shoes, stabbing through his palm.

"GAH! You bitch!" Everlue roared, as he held his profusely bleeding hand.

"How far will you go just to get what you want!" Lucy yelled, leveling a fierce glare on Everlue. "Can you possibly imagine how Kemu felt, being in that solitary cell for three damn years!"

"H-He realized my g-greatness, finally." Everlue grunted out, as a maniacal smile spread across his face.

"FUCK YOU!" Lucy roared, making Everlue flinch in fear. "He had to fight with his own pride! If he didn't write your stupid fucking book, his family would have been in danger! But writing a book about a jackass like you...a writer's pride wouldn't allow him to write such filth!"

"H-How do you know all this?" Everlue asked, his eyes narrowed.

"It's all written in this book." Lucy said, holding up _Daybreak_.

"Impossible! I've read that book, cover to cover. Kemu Zaleon never appeared in it once." Everlue said in a confused tone.

"Of course, this is just an awful story for a fan if you read it the normal way." Lucy said, making Everlue's eyes widen. "But you should know about it, too. Kemu Zaleon started off as a mage. He used the last of his magical power to cast a spell onto this book."

_"Did that bastard make it so that sentences of his enemy would show up after releasing the magic. UNFORGIVABLE!" _Everlue thought, as a vein bulged on is head.

"The process to completing this book is written in it. But that's not what Kemu Zaleon wanted to leave behind in this book. The real truth is something else." Lucy said, as she held up a golden zodiac gate key. "That's why I won't let you have this book! You don't have the right to own it!"

"**Open! Gate of the Crab! Cancer!**"

A magical circle formed around Lucy. A moment later a spirit with black hair, braided in red cornrows ending in a shape similar to a crab's pincers. He wore a blue striped shit, with black pants. The spirit also had six crab-like legs protruding from his back. His main weapons appeared to be two pairs of scissors.

"A CRAB!" Happy exclaimed, his mouth watering. "I bet he'll say -kani at the end of his sentences! I'm 100% sure! He is a crab after all! I know it; it's expected!"

"Happy, I want to concentrate." Lucy said in an annoyed tone. "If you don't shut up, I'll pinch your paw."

"Lucy," Cancer said, getting Lucy's attention. "What kind of hairstyle would you like today-ebi?"

"EBI?!"

"Can't you see that what's going on right now?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock. "This is a fight! Cut that ugly bastard's moustache off!"

"Okay-ebi." Cancer said, advancing on Everlue.

_"A secret?! There's still something else, she hasn't told me? Could Zaleon have written about the illegal nature of my buisnesses?!" _Everlue thought, as he began to panic. _"Shit! If that book is passed onto the magic council I'm doomed!"_

"NOOO!" Everlue roared, as he pulled a golden key out of his pocket. The blood from the hole in his hand dripped from his hand onto the floor.

"**Open! Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!" **

"EH!?" Lucy gasped, as a magical circle formed around Everlue.

"He can use the same type of magic as Lucy!?" Happy exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"How may I help you, may master?" The massive pink-haired maid from before said, as she burst out of the ground in front of Everlue."

"Virgo! Get that book back from that bitch at once!" Everlue exclaimed with a twisted grin.

"SHE...SHE'S A CELESTIAL SPIRIT!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she held _Daybreak _close to her chest.

"HOW THE FUCK DID I GET HERE!?"

Everyone gasped when they say Natsu in the air above Virgo. The dragon slayer had a tight grip onto the back of Virgo's outfit.

"NATSU!" Lucy yelled in complete and utter shock.

"Why were you with Virgo!?" Everyone exclaimed with wide eyes.

"You...? How...?!" Lucy stuttered out, trying to comprehend the situation.

"How? She started to attack me all of sudden." Natsu explained in a frightened tone. As Natsu explained the situation, realization started to dawn on Lucy. "After I dodged one of her attacks, I grabbed onto her outfit. Then she started to glow, there was a bright flash of light, now I'm here. I-I don't know what the hell is going on here! Lucy I'm scared, can you hold me?!"

"Don't tell me!" Lucy exclaimed, as he eyes widened. "You, a human, passed through the celestial spirit world!? That's not possible!"

"Lucy what the hell should I do?!" Natsu yelled, as he still held onto Virgo.

"Virgo! Get rid of this pest quick!" Everlue shouted, pointing at Natsu.

"Natsu take her out!" Lucy exclaimed, as she reached for her whip.

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Natsu said with a wicked grin, as his entire head became engulfed in flames. "Eat this you gorilla!"

"**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**"

Natsu delivered a savage, flaming headbutt, sending Virgo crashing to the ground knocked out. The dragon slayer smirked, as he stood over Virgo triumphantly.

"WHAT!?" Everlue exclaimed in shock, as Lucy's whip wrapped around his neck.

"I won't let you escape underneath the ground anymore!" Lucy exclaimed, as she tightened the whip's hold on Everlue. "YOU..." Lucy twirled Everlue around, and threw him into the air. Cancer jumped up and attacked Everlue, shredding his clothes, and cutting off all his hair. "...Shouldn't be more than a supporting character!"

"Lucy...How do like his hair cut-ebi?" Cancer asked with a grin.

"It's perfect Cancer, you can go now." Lucy said with smile, as Cancer disappeared.

"You did an amazing job Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, wrapping his arm around Lucy's shoulders, causing a blush to spread across her face. "You are a true Fairy Tail mage, through and through!"

"AYE SIR!"

"Thanks Natsu, Happy." Lucy said, as she felt tears of joy form in her eyes, as she clutched _Daybreak _close to her chest.

"You b-bitch!" Everlue grunted, as he struggled to his feet.

"You!" Natsu exclaimed, as ran up to Everlue and grabbed him by his collar. "You hurt Lucy! And you made fun of her!" Fury was evident on Natsu's face as he held up a flaming fist. "I'm gonna teach you a lesson you'll never forget."

"No Natsu." Lucy said grabbing onto Natsu's shoulder, startling the dragon slayer. Natsu turned his head to look a Lucy, he was surprised to see a smirk on her face. "Let me do it."

"Be my guest!" Natsu said with a grin, as he stepped aside.

"I made a promise that'd I'd punch you at least once." Lucy said, as she cocked her fist back. "And celestial mages always keeps their promises."

"Wh-What! I'll give you anything you want!" Everlue pleaded.

"Too late for that!" Lucy's fist shot forward, and collided with Everlue's jaw. Natsu winced, as he heard Everlue's jaw break. Everlue's head slammed into the ground, causing him to fall unconscious. Lucy spit on Everlue, as she dusted off her hands. "Fucking pervert."

"Woah," Natsu said in a low tone. "That was pretty hot."

"Alright Natsu let's get out of here." Lucy said, as she headed towards the exit.

"Sure thing Lucy!" Natsu said with a smile, as he ran after the celestial spirit mage.

* * *

(20 Minutes Later; Back at Kaby's Mansion)

"Wh-What are you doing?" Kaby asked in shock, as Lucy offered him the book. "I thought I asked you to incinerate that book."

"If you want to destroy it, it's not that hard Kaby-san." Lucy said, as Kaby took the book from her hands.

"Fine I'll destroy it myself." Kaby said, glaring at the book. "I don't even want to look at it!"

"I know why you can't tolerate this book's existence." Lucy said, making Kaby's eyes widen. "It's to protect your father's pride. You're the son of Kemu Zaleon, aren't you?"

"No way!" Natsu exclaimed in surprise.

"H-How did you know?" Kaby asked, as he lowered his head.

"Have you ever read this book?" Lucy asked Kaby.

"No...I've only heard about it from my father." Kaby replied, shaking his head. "But it'd be a waste of time to read this trash. My father told me that this book is his worst piece of work."

"Is that why you're gonna burn that book?" Natsu asked, his eye twitching.

"Yes." Kaby replied, but he jumped when Natsu rushed forward.

"Burning it just because it's a bad book, what the fuck are you thinking?! Huh?!" Natsu exclaimed in a rage, luckily Lucy stopped him before he could do anything rash. Her touch seemed to work, as Natsu settled down.

"Natsu...I told you! It's to protect his father's pride! Now apologize right now!" Lucy scolded the dragon slayer.

Much like with Erza, Lucy's scolding seemed to work wonders. Moments after Lucy had yelled at him, Natsu was apologizing to Kaby.

"It's alright my boy." Kaby said with a small smile. "Yes...my father was ashamed to have written _Daybreak_. 31 years ago my father returned home after being gone of over three years."

* * *

(Flashback; 31 years ago)

I'm home...finally." Kemu Zaleon said, as he entered his home.

"D-Dad..." Kaby gasped in shock, his father walking past him. "You haven't contacted us for three years. Where were you writing that book at?"

Kemu said nothing, as he rifled through a chest in the back of his home. Kaby's eyes widened when he saw his father tie rope around his arm.

"I'm done for." Kemu said, tightening the knot around his arm. "I'm going to quite being a writer."

"Wait! Father! What are you doing!?" Kaby exclaimed, as he watched his father hoist an hatchet into the air.

"I'll never write another book again!" Kemu exclaimed, as he swung the ax.

"DAD!" Kaby exclaimed in a panic as he watched his father cut off his own hand.

Hours later Kemu awoke in his bed. He looked to his side, spotting his son standing at his bedside.

"You're...here...Kaby..." Kemu said with a weak smile. "Heh, you've grown a little."

"You're an idiot...Didn't I tell you three years ago...That you'd regret writing such a terrible book!" Kaby exclaimed in anger.

"True..." Kemu said with a small smile.

"How could you write about a perverted man, like Everlue!?" Kaby asked, his rage growing.

"Well, the pay was good." Kemu replied with a smirk

"You're really pathetic sometimes." Kaby exclaimed, as he clenched his teeth.

"Yeah. That book ended up being the worst pile of trash that I'd ever written." Kemu said with a chuckle.

"You abandoned your family for three years...to write that piece of shit...what was on your mind?!" Kaby asked, shaking in rage.

"You. You were always on my son." Kemu answered, smiling at his son.

"The you could've written something for the book and came home earlier! You've throw away both your pride as an author and your family!" Kaby exclaimed, making his father frown. "You made a smart choice when you said you'd stop being an author. Someone with no pride can never be a writer...nor a father."

Kaby turned his back on his father, and exited the room silently.

* * *

(Back to the Present)

"Right after that my father took his own life." Kaby explained, as he looked down at the book in his hands. "I hated him even after he passed away. I hated him because he was too weak to stand up for himself." Kaby sighed, as he reached into his pocket. "But as time passed, I came to regret the words that I had said that day. Maybe if I hadn't said those awful things, my father wouldn't have taken his life. That's why I wanted to destroy this terrible book from the world. Only with this atonement can he regain his pride as a writer." Kaby pulled a box of matches from his pocket, and lit one. "Now father will..."

"WAIT!" Lucy exclaimed, as the book began to glow.

"Wh-What is going on!?" Kaby asked in shock, as the letters of the book's title began to rearrange themselves.

"The letters are flying!" Happy exclaimed, as he ducked underneath the floating letters.

"Zekua Melon, under the alias Kemu Zaleon, cast a a spell on this book." Lucy explained, making Kaby's eyes widen.

"A-A s-spell?" Kaby stuttered out, as the book's title rearranged to spell _Dear Kaby_.

"Yes...he cast a spell that shuffled the letters in the book. Including it's contents...and everything else." Kaby gasped, as the book opened up, and it's words flew throughout the room.

"Whoa," Natsu said, as he marveled at the floating letters. He grinned like a child, as he started to poke the flying words.

"The reason Zekua quit being a writer was not only because he wrote the worst book ever...but probably because he also wrote the best book in existence." Lucy said with a smile.

"Amazing!" Natsu exclaimed, as the words began to fly back into the book.

"The best book, which contains letters to Kaby-san." Lucy said, as the book closed again.

_"You were always on my mind." _Those words suddenly rang through Kaby's head.

"That is what Kemu Zaleon truly wanted to leave behind." Lucy explained, as Kaby grabbed the newly formed book.

"Dad..." Kaby said, as he felt tears flow down his cheeks. He flipped through the book, and started to read its new contents. "I never...really...understood him."

"Of course." Lucy said, smiling at Kaby. "If you understand how a writer's mind works, you'll never find pleasure in reading a book."

"Thank you. I can't burn this book now." Kaby said with a smile, as he wiped away his tears.

"Well then we don't need a reward either." Natsu with a toothy grin.

"Aye, I agree!" Happy cheered, following Natsu's lead.

"Eh?" Kaby said in surprise.

"Huh?" Lucy asked in shock, as she looked at Natsu.

"We were tasked to 'destroy' that book," Natsu explained. "And we failed to accomplish our mission."

"N-No...but...we can't do it that way..." Kaby said, trying to reason with the dragon slayer.

"No, young man we have to give you something." Kaby's wife said, agreeing with her husband.

"H-He's right...it's his generosity...let's just accept it." Lucy said with a nervous smile.

"You're so greedy Lucy!" Happy exclaimed with a sweatdrop. "You were saying such nice things earlier, but now they've all gone down the drain."

"Hey! that was different!" Lucy yelled at Happy.

"I said we don't want it, so we don't want it." Natsu said, causing anime tears to flow from Lucy's eyes. "Let's get going. You should go back to your own home too, Melon."

Kaby's eyes widened, as he watched Natsu and Happy walk out the front door. Lucy just stared at the duo, slack jawed.

"What the hell is going on?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she ran after Natsu.

* * *

(On the Road Back to Magnolia)

"I can't believe you! How could you possibly turn down 2 million jewels just like that?!" Lucy complained, trudging behind Natsu and Happy.

"If we accepted the money for something we didn't do, it'll taint Fairy Tail's name." Natsu explained, earning a pout from Lucy.

"But everything turned out so well, who care?!" Lucy asked in an annoyed tone. "*Sigh* They weren't rich after all. He said that he borrowed the house from his friend to make himself look rich. But we would've accepted the job even if he hadn't done that."

"Really?" Happy asked with a skeptical look.

"Of course!" Lucy exclaimed, but then she muttered 'probably' under her breath. "How did you know about the house, Natsu?"

"Their smell was different from the smell of the house." Natsu replied, tapping his nose. "How do thing I found you in Hargeon?"

"Y-You smelled me?" Lucy squeaked out, as a fierce blush spread across her face.

"Yeah, was that bad?" Natsu asked with a confused look.

"N-No it's fine." Lucy stuttered, as she tried to fight off her blush.

"Oh, okay then." Natsu said with a grin.

The trio made small talk the rest of the trip towards Magnolia. When the team reached Lucy's house, Natsu immediately became flustered.

"Uh, listen Luce." Natsu said, as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

_"Luce?! He's giving me a nickname!" _Lucy thought, as her face heated up.

"I'm sorry about breaking into your house the other day." Natsu apologized, as he looked at the ground. "I shouldn't have done something like that."

"Oh, that." Lucy said, a small smile spreading across her face. "It's alright Natsu, just knock next time."

"No promises," Natsu said with a grin.

* * *

**Holy shit balls! That was the longest chapter I've ever written. This chapter was a major pain in my fucking ass to write. Because I had to rewrite a bunch of scenes like seven times, because my laptop was fucking up, and not saving my progress, But I managed to finish this chapter on my desktop, so we're all good. ****Well Erza will be returning next chapter, and we'll be starting the Lullaby Arc. Okay before anyone says the NaLu stuff is moving too fast, Lucy said she's 'starting' to fall in love with Natsu, key word starting. She already had a crush on him to begin with. Her feelings are now evolving into love. So don't expect any pairings to happen just wait, those will come eventually. But I will say right now that Lucy will be Natsu's first girl. So what did you guys think? Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW IT MOTIVATES ME TO WRITE, and PM me ideas for this story. Also expect the next chapter within the next week or two, because that's what I'm working on before I update any of my other stories.**

**Okay about the new polls. I have two questions I want to ask you guys. Both of these choices won't affect the story until later.**

**1\. Should Wendy get a secondary magic? Like Natsu's lightning or Gajeel's shadow magic. If I do end up doing this I was gonna give Wendy, Cobra's poison dragon slayer magic as her second magic. That will be the first poll, the options will be yes or no.**

**2\. Should Yukino join Fairy Tail? I was a little disappointed when Yukino didn't join Fairy Tail after all the things Natsu and Lucy did for her. I'm fine with her being in Sabertooth, but I just thought it would be awesome to have her in Fairy Tail as well. Same thing as the first poll, yes or no.**

**If the polls aren't working let me know, and I'll try to fix them. I'll open the second poll about Yukino after I post the next chapter. SO! What are you waiting for!? Go and vote now! **

**Until next time I'm outta here.**


	6. Chapter 6 The Return of Titania

**Well I said I would have this chapter out before I wrote anything else, so here it is. This chapter will start the Lullaby Arc, which will probably be split into three or four chapters(just a rough guesstimate right now). Also Erza will be returning this chapter :) This story has also passed 100 reviews, which is totally awesome, and we're already almost at 300 followers/favorites. Regarding the poll, looks Wendy will be getting a secondary magic(by an almost unanimous ****decision). Wendy will be getting Cobra's poison dragon slayer magic, as her secondary magic. I chose poison, because Wendy's sky magic can be used for healing, while poison magic would be very deadly. I thought it would be cool that the two magics would counter balance each other. Remember to vote in the new poll about whether Yukino should Fairy Tail or not, it will be up on my profile. One last thing before I get to the chapter, did you guys see the newest Fairy Tail chapter(438)!? It was so nostalgic and awesome, the NaLu moments were so funny. The one thing I'm not to keen on is Erza being the new master. Yeah, it's cool that she's master, but it just feels weird to me, you know I just can't picture her as a guild master. Don't get me wrong, Erza has every ability needed to lead a guild, and out of everyone present currently she was definitely the most capable person. But I just can picture Erza being master for too long, she belongs on Team Natsu, going on missions and having adventures. Not stuck in the guild, and going to meetings. I hope this thing with Erza being master doesn't last too long, and someone else takes over, or she turns down the position. Because Erza hasn't officially accepted the being master yet, so I'm hoping that she politely turns down the job, because she seemed really flustered when they wanted her to be master. Honestly I'm hoping that Laxus comes back soon, and he takes over being master instead of her. Then there was the thing with Mest (yeah he's going by Mest now instead of Doranbolt) at the end, which was fucking awesome. Apparently something happened to Makarov, and Fairy Tail needs to go and save him, maybe he'll be master again once they save him, who knows. I just can't wait to see what happens next chapter, next week can't come soon enough! Sorry about that guys, but that chapter got me jacked up on Fairy Tail goodness(accept for the Erza being master stuff, please just let that blow over). So I won't waste anymore of your time, let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. **

* * *

(One Day After the Everlue Mansion Mission)

"Hmmm?" Lucy hummed, as she scanned over the various missions on the request board. "Let's see, what would be a good mission to go on with Natsu?" Lucy reached out and grabbed several request, quickly scanning over each of them. "Searching for a magic bracelet? Boring. Removing a spell from a cursed stick? Lame. Fortune telling love with astrology?!" Lucy's face reddened slightly when she read this request. "This mission would be perfect for me, but Natsu wouldn't have anything to do, so nope. Exterminating a monster on a volcano?!" Lucy glanced at Natsu, the dragon slayer was talking with Mira at the bar, and put the request back on the board. "Natsu would love to do that mission, but I don't exactly feel like dying today." The celestial spirit mage sighed heavily and placed her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong Lucy?" Mirajane asked, turning away from her conversation with Natsu.

"Yeah Luce what's up?" Natsu asked, standing up from his seat at the bar. "Are you looking for a job to go on?"

"Yes, but there's just so many types of missions to choose from." Lucy said with a huff, as she grabbed another request form. "I can't seem to find the right one."

"Well if you find a job that interest's you let me know since Master isn't here right now." Mirajane said with a smile, as she started wiping down the bar.

"I hope you find something good Luce, because I'm itching to go on a good mission." Natsu said with a large grin, before he walked over to Elfman on the other side of the guild.

"Actually Mira-san, where is Master?" Lucy asked with a confused look, as she looked at the spot on the bar where Makarov usually sat.

"He has to attend the regular meeting, so he'll be out for a while." Mirajane replied, making Lucy raise a blonde eyebrow.

"Regular meeting?" Lucy parroted with a confused look.

"It's a meeting where guild masters from other towns come to give reports about their guilds." Mirajane explained, making Lucy more confused. "It's different from council meeting, but...umm I guess it can be a bit difficult to understand." Mirajane tapped a finger to her chin, as she thought of a way better way to explain things to Lucy. She suddenly snapped her fingers, and turned to look at Reedus. "Hey Reedus, can I borrow your **Light Pen**?"

"Oui." Reedus answered, handing Mirajane the magic pen over his shoulder.

"Lucy, you couldn't have possibly know the organizational chart of the mage world when you just joined a guild, right?" Mirajane explained, using the **Light Pen** to write in the air. Mirajane hummed happily, as she drew a diagram to use in her explanation. While Mirajane was drawing, Lucy took a seat at the bar. The beautiful, white-haired barmaid started her explanation again at the top of her diagram. "The ten council members who have connections to the government hold the highest positions in the magical world. They exist to protect order in the mage world. The council also has the power to try mages who commit crimes." Mirajane then pointed to the middle of her diagram. "Guild masters are right underneath the council. Their job is to smoothen communication between guilds in every town, and to notify their guild members about council decisions, as well as bringing them all together. It's quite a difficult job to do."

"I had no idea that all the guilds were connected." Lucy said, as she turned her head to look back at the request board.

"Connections between guilds are important. If neglect these..." Mirajane said, making Lucy turn her head back to look at her.

"Evil people from the darkness will come to get yoouu." A dark and demonic voice said from behind Lucy.

"KYA!" Lucy screamed, as she jumped in her seat.

"HAHA! You should have seen your-" Natsu started to laugh, but he was cut off when Lucy's fist came crashing down on his head.

"Don't scare me you bastard!" Lucy yelled, as she panted slightly, her heart racing.

"Sorry Luce," Natsu apologized with a toothy grin, as he rubbed the lump on his head.

_"They're really cute together." _Mirajane thought with a smile on her face. _"It's really obvious that she likes him, but I'm pretty sure Erza has feelings for Natsu as well. I haven't know you very long, Lucy, but it feels like we've been friends for years. In the few days that she's been here, she has made friends with just about everyone in the guild. I want her to be happy, and Natsu obviously makes her happy. But Erza probably likes Natsu as well, and I can't ignore my own feelings. Hmmm? Maybe there's a way for all three of us to be happy."_

"Hmph," Lucy said as she crossed her arms and looked away from Natsu. "I accept your apology, but I'm still mad at you."

"Come on Luce I'm sorry!" Natsu pleaded, the familiar tugging in his chest telling him to make Lucy happy. "Please don't stay mad at me!"

"Calm down Natsu, I'm not mad at you." Lucy said with a sweatdrop, making Natsu smile. "Just sit down and let Mira-san finish her explanation."

Natsu quickly nodded, and retook his seat at the bar next to Lucy. But when Lucy turned to look at Mira, she was surprised to see that the barmaid appeared to be in deep thought.

"Uh, Mira-san?" Lucy asked, tapping the eldest Strauss sibling on her shoulder.

"Huh? What? Oh! Sorry about that Lucy, I kinda spaced out there for a sec." Mirajane said with a chuckle, as she rubbed the back of her head in embarassment. "Okay, let's get back to my little presentation. Now, Natsu wasn't wrong when he mentioned people from the darkness. We call any guild that doesn't belong to the league, a dark guild."

"They don't follow the law, so they're scary." Natsu commented with a grin, putting his hands behind his head.

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

"Then I'm sure they'll come and recruit you soon." Lucy said with a sigh, putting a hand on her hip.

"Anyway, I think Mira is finished with her explanation now, so why don't you pick a job for us Luce?" Natsu suggested, his grin widening.

"Yeah! We chose the last mission without consulting you. So it's your turn to pick the mission Lucy!" Happy exclaimed, sprouting his wings and flying into the air.

_"I'm still a little peeved about that!" _Lucy thought, as a mischievous smirk spread across her face. _"Oh, I'm so gonna get some payback on those two."_

"Don't mess around!" Lucy exclaimed, as she turned her back to Natsu and Happy. "We're splitting up! Find someone else for your team!"

"W-What?!" Natsu asked in a shocked tone. The dragon felt as if he had just been punched in the gut. He could feel his heart pounding erratically in his chest. _"No, no, no! What did I do wrong this time?!" _

"You'd have probably taken in any blonde girl for that mission to Everlue Mansion, wouldn't you?!" Lucy asked in faux anger, tugging on her blonde locks.

"Yeah, I could have picked any blonde girl, but I picked you Lucy." Natsu replied with a small smile. "Because you're awesome Lucy! You're nice, funny, caring, smart, strong, and really pretty!"

Lucy fought back a raging blush, and she pursed her lips to hide the smile that was trying to spread across her face. Natsu grinning at her wasn't helping her keep up her fake anger. The celestial spirit mage started to sweat a little, as she tried to keep up her annoyed visage.

"You don't have to force yourself to team up with anyone, especially flame brain over there." A cool voice said from the table behind them.

Lucy and Natsu turned around to see Gray Fullbuster sitting at the table right behind them. The ice user was grinning, as a cigarette hung from his mouth. Lucy also noticed that Loke was standing next to Gray. Loke noticed that Lucy was looking at him, and quickly gave her a wink.

"You defeated two mercenaries from the Southern Wolves guild, and a guerrilla-like maid, right? That was really amazing." Gray said, giving Lucy a thumbs up.

"Uh, that was actually Natsu." Lucy said, making Gray frown.

"So it was you, flame bastard?!" Gray exclaimed, grabbing Natsu by scarf.

"Got a problem with that you ice princess?" Natsu shot backing, butting heads with Gray.

"Why exactly are they fighting?" Lucy asked with a sweatdrop.

"Gray...your clothes are gone again." Mirajane said, pointing to Gray's lack of clothing.

"GAH! What?! When?! How does this keep happening?!" Gray exclaimed, as he looked down to see that he was only dressed in his boxers.

"God you're such a pain in the ass, pervert." Natsu said in a deadpanned tone.

"Did you just call me a pain in the ass, you flaming pile of shit?!" Gray yelled, instantly back to butting heads with Natsu.

"The biggest pain in the ass, you perverted ice bitch!" Natsu yelled back, baring his fangs.

"That's it you flaming fuckwad!" Gray screamed, throwing Natsu to the ground.

"Oh! It's go time you stripper!" Natsu roared, as he shot up and tackled Gray to the ground.

An all out brawl ensued between Natsu and Gray. They wrestled on the ground, often exchanging punches and headbutts whenever possible. As the dragon slayer and ice mage fought, Loke sauntered over to Lucy.

"You're really beautiful." Loke said, putting on all of his charm. He placed his hands on Lucy's shoulders and smiled at her. "Even looking through the dark shade of my sunglasses you're still so beautiful." Lucy groaned, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "If I were to look at you with my bare eyes, they'd probably shatter into pieces due to your sheer beauty."

"Then please take of your fucking sunglasses." Lucy said in an annoyed tone, slightly glaring at Loke. "We're inside, you shouldn't even be wearing sunglasses."

Natsu had tensed the second he heard Loke begin speaking to Lucy. This hesitation had caused him to take a punch from Gray. As Natsu's head whipped back, he spotted Loke put his hands on Lucy's shoulders. He then heard Loke try to flirt with Lucy. An intense feeling of possession and rage instantly filled Natsu. The dragon slayer felt like this whenever someone touched or flirted with Erza or Mira as well. He had gotten used to the flirting over time, because people flirted with Mira almost everyday. But touching was something that Natsu hadn't gotten used to yet. So when Loke touched Lucy, Natsu saw red.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER YOU BASTARD!" Natsu roared, as he broke away from his fight Gray.

Lucy and Loke turned their heads towards the source of the exclamation. They both went wide-eyed when they saw Natsu sprinting full speed at them, flames surging off his body.

"Shit! Not again!" Loke exclaimed, as he turned to run away.

But it was too late, Natsu caught up with Loke and grabbed him by the back of his jacket. The dragon slayer whipped Loke around, and hoisted him into the air by his collar. Loke gasped when he saw that Natsu's eyes were full of white hot fury. Veins bulged on Natsu's head, as he cocked his fist back.

"NATSU! STOP!" Lucy screamed, as she grabbed onto Natsu's shoulder. She hissed in pain, Natsu's skin was scorching hot. Enduring the pain, Lucy started to shake Natsu's shoulder. "NATSU! CALM DOWN! I'M FINE! PLEASE PUT LOKE DOWN!"

Hearing Lucy's voice had a calming effect on Natsu. He turned his head to look Lucy, but what he saw made his heart sink. Lucy looked scared, as she clenched her eyes shut from the pain she was feeling. Natsu knew he had to act fast or Lucy would end up being afraid of him.

"Oh God Luce, I'm sorry." Natsu said, as he set Loke on the ground. "I did't mean to scare you. I'm so sorry that I hurt you, that's the second time that I've hurt you. I just saw Loke touching you, and something snapped inside me, and...shit I'm sorry Lucy!"

Before Lucy even had a chance to say anything, Natsu ran out of the guild. Lucy sighed, and turned to look at Loke. He was currently leaning against the wall, panting slightly.

"What was that all about?" Lucy asked, walking up to Loke. Her keys clinked together as she walked up to the mage.

"I-It's happened be-" Loke stopped mid sentence when he spotted the celestial gate keys on Lucy's hip. "You're a celestial spirit mage! Oh what a cruel twist of fate! I'm sorry but things must end between us!"

"But there's nothing between us." Lucy said with a confused look.

Like Natsu, Loke immediately sprinted out of the guild with a horrified look on his face. Lucy had a confused look as she returned to the bar, where Mira was currently cleaning some dirty beer mugs.

"Do you have any idea what that was all about Mira-san?" Lucy asked, as she retook her seat at the bar.

"Oh, Natsu is _really _overprotective." Mirajane replied, emphasizing the word really. "He did the same thing to Loke when he touched me a few months back. But it was much worse that time, because Loke had ran his hand down my thigh. It took six people to pry Natsu off Loke. Natsu actually used to fight with anyone that flirted with me, but since people hit on me everyday he kinda got used to it. But he's never been used to people touching Erza or I, and you too apparently."

_"So he was just being overprotective?" _Lucy thought, as she glanced to the doors that Natsu had ran out of.

"I remember the first time Natsu had done something like this. It happened about a year and half ago. Natsu and Erza were on a mission, and a mage from Blue Pegasus had tried to feel Erza up. Normally Erza would deal with any perverts that tried anything. But this time Natsu snapped, and he just went off on the guy. Erza had never seen Natsu so angry. The mage had to hospitalized for two weeks, and master made Natsu formally apologize to the master of Blue Pegasus for his actions." Mirajane sighed, as she looked down at the bar. "Erza wouldn't talk to him for a whole week after that. But when they finally did start talking again, they acted as if nothing ever happened. Ever since that incident they actually seemed to be closer than ever."

"I know Natsu was just looking out for me, but he really scared me just now Mira-san." Lucy admitted looking down, as she placed her slightly shaking hands in her lap.

"It was scary when it happened to me to...but it was also very exciting." Mirajane said, making Lucy's head snap up. "I know you felt it too Lucy. The sheer power that Natsu exerts when he's angry. Yes it's frightening, even overwhelming at times, but it's also exhilarating and very alluring."

Lucy's face blushed bright red at Mirajane's words. She didn't want to say it, but Mira was right. When Natsu had grabbed Loke, she could feel the raw power and energy dripping off the dragon slayer. It drew her in, and made her feel oddly safe. Even though Lucy was terrified, she knew deep in her gut that nothing bad would happen to her as long as Natsu was near. Lucy also hated to admit that she was really turned on by Natsu's display of power and aggression. The celestial spirit mage could feel her panties dampening slightly, as she rubber her thighs together.

"You better talk to him quick, before he thinks you're afraid of him and does something stupid." Mirajane suggested, earning a nod from the blonde.

Lucy stood and walked over to Happy. The blue cat was sitting on a table near the back of the guild, quietly eating a plate of fish.

"Happy?" Lucy asked, standing next to the cat. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure thing Lucy!" Happy cheered, as he stood up.

"Can you find Natsu, and bring him back here? There's been a misunderstanding, and I need to talk to him." Lucy said, as she pointed towards the front doors. "Natsu ran out of the guild a few minutes ago. If you hurry, you could catch up to him."

"No problem Lucy, I'll be back in a flash." Happy quickly sprouted his wings and flew out of the guild.

Lucy took a seat at the table, and waited for Happy to return. After about five minutes the guild's front doors opened, and Happy flew in carrying a very sheepish looking Natsu. Happy quickly deposited Natsu at the table Lucy was sitting at, and sat back down to finish his fish. Natsu had quickly averted Lucy's gaze, and stared at the wall across from them.

"Listen Luce," Natsu said sheepishly, still avoiding eye contact with Lucy. "I'm sorry about going off on Loke. I know you didn't need me to protect you, and I went way too far. So if you still don't want to be a team anymore...I'll understand." The last part hurt Natsu to say, but if being away from her made Lucy happy, Natsu would distance himself from her.

"No, Natsu I still want to be on your team with Erza." Lucy said with a smile, making Natsu's head snap towards her. "I was just messing with you earlier, when I said I didn't want to be on your team anymore. I love being a team with you and Happy, and I can't think of any better teammates than you two."

"Thank God!" Natsu said breathing a sigh of relief. "I thought that I scared you, and that you were gonna avoid me."

"Natsu I'm not gonna lie to you. I was scared earlier, when you attacked Loke." Lucy said, causing sadness to flash in Natsu's eyes. "But I felt oddly safe and protected when you were like that. I knew that nothing bad could happen to me, because you would protect me."

"Really?" Natsu asked, a faint blush across his cheeks.

"Yeah, it was really strange." Lucy sighed and stood up from her seat. She walked around the table and sat next to Natsu. The blonde gently placed her hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Natsu I get that you want to protect me, but Loke is a fellow guild member, one of our nakama. You can't be going around and hurting your comrades just because you feel like you have to protect me. I'm a young, attractive girl Natsu. People are gonna try to flirt with me, or try and make a move on me. So if a guild members flirts with me, or tries to touch me, let me deal with them. But if it's an enemy or some pervert on the street, feel free to kick the shit out of them."

"Okay Lucy I understand." Natsu said with a smile. The dragon slayer then did something Lucy wasn't expecting. He leaned forward, and embraced her in a tight hug. Lucy's face flared at the sudden contact, and she was so shocked that she didn't move at all. "I'll try to stay calm if it's one of our nakama, but if it's some jerk we don't know I'm kicking their ass."

"Tch, that's so sweet I think my teeth are gonna rot." Gray said in a bored tone, interrupting Natsu and Lucy's little moment.

"Damnit ice princess! Why the fuck did you have to but in?!" Natsu exclaimed, letting Lucy go and storming over to Gray.

"Because you bitched out on our fight with me to go threaten Loke. Then you ran away like a little pussy." Gray said poking Natsu in the chest, earning a fierce glare from the dragon slayer. "I want to finish our fight from before, no interruptions this time."

Natsu didn't say anything, instead he grabbed Gray's shoulders and headbutted him. The unexpected headbutt sent Gray sprawling to the floor. Wiping some blood from his nose, Gray looked up to see Natsu grinning down at him.

"Let's dance you icy pervert." Natsu said, cracking his knuckles.

"That was a cheap shot you flaming jackass!" Gray yelled, as he tackled Natsu to the ground.

Again Gray and Natsu rolled around the guild, exchanging blows back and forth. Natsu had just managed to kick Gray off himself, when Loke burst back into the guild. Everyone turned to look at Loke, who was panting and out of breath.

"Oh, you're back Loke." Mira said with a sweet smile. "Why are you so out of breath?"

"S-She's back." Loke replied, making the entire guild gasp. Natsu and Gray both stopped mid punch to look at Loke. "Natsu! Gray! Erza is back!"

"Erza is back! Shit I better get out of here!" Gray yelled, as he made a beeline for the door.

"Sweet! Erza is back!" Natsu cheered, as he turned to face Lucy. "You'll finally get to meet Erza, Lucy! I know you'll love her!"

"Oh, it's so good to have Erza back!" Mirajane exclaimed with a smile, as she clapped her hands together. "I haven't seen her in almost a week. We have to catch up!"

While Mirajane and Natsu seemed happy to see Erza return, the rest of the guild had gone deathly quite. Lucy noticed that everyone was drinking quietly, and all the arguments and talking had stopped.

_"Why is everyone so tense? From what Natsu has told me, Erza is really nice." _Lucy thought with a quirked eyebrow.

"I think I'm gonna go home now." Loke said, as he started to follow after Gray.

Right when Gray reached the guild's front doors, they slowly began to open. Gray stopped dead in his tracks, as a figure appeared in the doorway. The first thing Lucy noticed was the clanking of armor, as a lone figure walked into the guild. Next Lucy noticed the figure was carrying what appeared to be a large, ornately decorated horn over their shoulder. Finally, Lucy could make out the person's details. What she saw shocked her, the woman that had walked into the guild was beautiful. It definitely was Erza Scarlet.

Erza had stunning scarlet hair that went down to the small of her back. Her brown eyes were warm and inviting, yet at the same time hard and fierce. She had a slender and voluptuous figure, that had Lucy in awe. Erza was wearing a custom set of Heart Kruez armor, with a blue skirt and a pair of black boots. The armor set consisted of a metal breastplate, with a high armored collar and plated shoulderguards with each side being composed of four metal plates. On the breastplate's left side was the symbol of the Heart Kruez fashion company. Lastly the armor's waist guard was composed of three plates, each held up by Erza's belt. If looks could kill, Erza would have slaughtered everyone in the guild.

"I'm back." Erza said, walking up to the bar and setting the massive horn down. "Mira is Natsu back yet?"

"Yes, he got back a few days ago." Mirajane said with a smile, as she pointed to where Natsu was standing.

"I'm right here Erza!" Natsu cheered, waving to her from where he stood next to Lucy.

"Oh it's great to see you Natsu!" Erza said, as she walked up to the dragon slayer and pulled him in for a tight hug. His head banged against her armored chest, but he didn't mind at all. "I missed you Natsu."

"I missed you too Erza." Natsu said with a smile, as Erza released him her hug. "Actually Erza, I want you to meet someone!" The dragon slayer stepped aside, revealing Lucy. "This is my good friend Lucy! I've told you about her a couple times. Well I caught up with her a few days ago, and she joined the guild."

"Oh, so you're the Lucy, Natsu has told me about." Erza said with a smile, as she extended her hand. "I'm Erza Scarlet, it's a pleasure to me you."

"I-It's an h-honor to meet you E-Erza." Lucy stuttered out, still slightly in awe of Erza. She extended a shaky arm, and shook Erza's hand. "Natsu has told me so much about you, and I've read about you in the Weekly Sorcerer. You're an amazing mage, and you're considered the strongest woman in Fairy Tail."

"Well I hope he's only told you good things about me." Erza said with a smile, releasing Lucy's hand.

"Natsu only had the nicest things to say about you, trust me." Lucy said, as she turned to look at Natsu.

"Well I have nothing bad to say about Erza." Natsu said with a grin, earning a smile from Erza.

"Is the master here, Mira?" Erza asked, turning to the white-haired barmaid.

"No, he's currently attending the regular meeting." Mirajane replied with a smile. "It's great to have you back Erza."

"It's great to be back Mira. When I have time later, we'll catch up." Erza said, earning a happy nod from Mirajane.

"Uh E-Erza-san...what is that...giant thing?" A guild member asked in a shaky voice.

"This thing?" Erza asked, placing her hand on the large horn. "The local townspeople decorated the horn of a demon i had defeated. They gave it to me a souvenir. Will it be a nuisance here?"

"N-No! It's perfectly f-fine!" The guild member said in a panicked tone, frantically waving his hands defensively.

_"Why is everyone so afraid of Erza?" _Lucy thought in confusion. _"She been really nice so far."_

"Anyway guys." Erza said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at several guild members. "I've heard that you all have been causing trouble again. Even if master forgives you, I won't." Erza's upset tone made most of the guild members cower in fear.

"Oh, that's why everyone is afraid of her." Lucy whispered to Happy.

"Yeah, Erza is really strong." Happy said, raising his paw.

"Cana!" Erza exclaimed, startling the brunette. "Put the barrel down, and drink like a normal person!"

"Vijeeter! Take your dancing outside!"

"Wakaba! You're damn cigarette butts are all over the floor!"

"Nab! Stop loitering around the the request job, and pick a damn job already!"

"*Sigh* You guys give me such trouble sometimes." Erza said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "However, I'll let everything slide today, and won't say anything."

"She's said quite a lot already." Lucy said in a low tone, as she turned to Happy. "Is she like a disciplinary enforcer or something?"

"She's Erza!" Happy replied with a smile.

"Happy, is Gray here?" Erza asked the blue cat.

"H-Hey, Erza..." Gray said, shaking in fear. The ice mage was forcing a smile, as he wrapped his arm around Natsu neck and shook his hand. "I-I'm getting a-along with N-Natsu like a-always."

"Aye." Natsu said, as he leaned in to whisper to Gray. "I'm only helping you, because I feel bad for you, ice princess. I don't want Erza to beat the shit out of you, I'd rather do that."

"Just shut up and smile." Gray whispered back, fear evident in his tone.

"I see...best friends do fight every once and awhile." Erza said with a smile, nodding her head. "But I'd much rather see you two get along all the time."

"E-Erza I've t-told you that N-Natsu isn't my b-best friend." Gray protested weakly, his arm still around Natsu's neck.

"Did you say something Gray?" Erza said, glaring at the ice mage.

"N-No ma'am." Gray quickly replied.

"Gray is really scared of Erza, and I think Natsu even a little scared of her sometimes." Mira told Lucy, earning a raised eyebrow from the blonde. "One time Natsu challeneged Erza to a sparring match and got the crap beat out of him."

"Eh!? No way, that Natsu?!" Lucy asked in a shocked tone, pointing at the dragon slayer.

"Natsu is almost at Erza's level, she's only a little stronger than him." Mira explained, as she looked at Natsu. "That is until Natsu gets angry. When Natsu is mad, his strength seems to double, or even triple sometimes. His feelings for the guild and it's members are what gives him the strength and will to overcome almost any obstacle."

"Yeah, that sounds like our Natsu." Lucy said with a smile.

"I remember one time time Erza caught Gray walking naked, and she beat him up. Then there was the time Loke tried to hit on Erza, he almost died after she was done with him." Mirajane explained, earning a shocked look from Lucy.

"I'm glad to see you getting along with Natsu, Gray." Erza said with a smile, as she pushed a couple scarlet locks out of her eyes. "But, I actually have a favor to ask you both."

"Sure thing Erza, what do need us to do?" Natsu asked with a toothy grin.

"I overheard some troubling things, while I was on my mission. Normally I would consult the master about something this. But this is an urgent matter." Erza explain, putting her hands on her hips. "I need you both to lend me your strength. You'll help me, right?"

"EH?!" Gray said in a shocked tone.

"Sure thing Erza, I'll help you with whatever you need!" Natsu answered with a large smile.

"What's going on?!" Cana asked with a confused look.

"This is the first time Erza has teamed up with someone other than Natsu!" Max exclaimed with a stunned look on his face.

"What could it be to make Erza team up with someone other than Natsu?" Happy asked with a worried look.

"We'll leave tomorrow, so get ready." Erza said, turning to leave. "I'll tell you both the details along the way."

"Ah...no...wait..." Gray tried to protest, but Erza was already walking away.

"Wait Erza! Before you go I have to tell you something!" Natsu exclaimed, pulling Erza off to the side.

"Erza...Natsu..and Gray, I've never imagined something like this." Mirajane said in a low tone. "This might very well be the strongest team in Fairy Tail."

"Really!" Lucy gasped out at Mirajane's words.

* * *

"Yes, what did you want to tell me Natsu?" Erza asked, as the dragon slayer released her.

"I wanted to tell you that Lucy will be coming with us." Natsu replied, making Erza raise a scarlet eyebrow.

"Why would she be coming with us?" Erza questioned in a confused tone.

"Because she's apart of our team!" Natsu exclaimed with a wide grin.

"What!" Erza hissed, startling the dragon slayer. "Natsu! You know how I feel about working with people other than you. I did't really want to bring Gray along on this mission, but we likely need his help."

"Erza, Lucy is really strong too. She helped me save Macao the other day, and she was a big help on our mission to Everlue Mansion." Natsu explained, placing his hands on Erza's armored shoulders. "Lucy's a great person, Erza. She'll be a great addition to our team, and I know you'll love her. Just please give her a chance. For me."

"*Sigh* I'm only doing this for you." Erza relented when she saw the puppy look Natsu was giving her.

"Thanks Erza! You're best!" Natsu exclaimed, pulling Erza in for another hug.

"I know I am." Erza said with a chuckle, as Natsu released her. "Hey, why don't we go out and get something to eat? We can catch up."

"Sure let me get Happy, Mira, and Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, as he turned to run off. But he was stopped when Erza grabbed his scarf.

"No Natsu, just you an me alone, no one else." Erza said, earning a confused look from the dragon slayer.

"Why? It will be more fun with everyone else there." Natsu reasoned, causing Erza to pout.

"Natsu I haven't seen you in almost a week. I want to spend some time with just you right now." Erza said, clasping her hands and leaning in close. "Please Natsu, for me." Erza fluttered her eyelashes and gave Natsu the same puppy look her gave her.

"Damnit, you know I can't say no to you when you give me that look." Natsu said with a groan. "Fine let's go, just you and me."

"You're the best Natsu!" Erza said with a smile, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"I know I am." Natsu laughed, as the duo walked out of the guild.

Lucy watched the whole exchange with a jealous look. Mirajane giggled, causing Lucy to turn and face her.

"You better get used to that." Mirajane said with a smile. "Those two are about as close as you can get. I used to get jealous too, but you'll get used to it."

_"Wait, why would Mira-san be jealous too?"_ Lucy thought, giving the barmaid a look. _"Does she like Natsu too? I'm pretty sure Erza likes Natsu, but I'm not sure yet. Damnit it looks like I'm gonna have to compete with the both of them for Natsu's affections, this is gonna be pretty tough."_

* * *

(Dark Guild; Eisenwald)

"Whoa! What guild is that woman from?!" An Eisenwald member asked, pointing to a picture in the Weekly Sorcerer.

"I dunno, the article doesn't say." Another guild member said, as he flipped to another picture of the scarlet haired mage.

"She's gorgeous!" The previous guild member said, as he suddenly groaned. "Shit! I should've made a move on her!"

"You wouldn't stand a chance." The Eisenwald member with the magazine said with a grin.

"What did you say, you bastard?!"

"Hey you two, is Kageyama back yet?" Byard asked, as he walked into the room.

"No, but it's not an easy task to break seal off 'that' thing so it can't be helped." Rayule replied with a smirk.

"Don't be hesitant." A voice said from the shadows. "Now is our time to strike. Now when the old geezers are all at the regular meeting."

The man stepped into the light, revealing a an extremely tall, lean-built and yet mildly muscular man with silver hair. His eyes were dark, and each featured a simple tattoo underneath. Tattoos also covered his bare chest and shoulders. He wore an old black scarf, and various tattered cloth covered his lower body. A massive scythe rested on his shoulder. It was Eisenwald's strongest mage, Erigor the Shinigami.

* * *

**And done! I know this chapter wasn't as long as the other one. That's because it was just supposed to be a set up chapter for what's to come. The next chapters should be normal length, maybe even longer. So what did you guys think. Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW, and PM ideas for the story. Also don't forget to vote in the poll about Yukino, that is up on my profile now. The next chapter won't be out for a while, because I have to update my other stories. So be patient, and the next chapter ****will be out eventually. Until next time I'm outta here.**

**P.S. FALLOUT 4 IS CONFIRMED! I'M SO FUCKING HAPPY! I literally started screaming when I saw then Fallout 4 trailer! **


	7. Chapter 7 Natsu Hates Trains

**Hey guys I'm back with another ****chapter! I actually wasn't planning on updating this story yet, but I decided to post another chapter for two reasons. 1.) This story has gotten a ton of support since the last chapter, and I figured you guys deserved a reward. 2.) I wanted to update you guys on something that will be happening in the story, and I felt it would't be fair to post the update without a chapter to go with it. Before I get to the update, I'll tell you guys the results of the Yukino poll. Out of 50 votes, 40 were for Yukino to join Fairy Tail. So it looks like Yukino will be joining Fairy Tail later in the story. Now on to the update. I was planning on having a poll to decide whether Juvia should join Natsu's harem or not. Some of you already know about this and voted already. The way it was going it looked like Juvia was going to be in Natsu's harem. But thanks to some random fucking guy spamming with guest reviews, asking me to add Cana instead of Juvia(This fucking guy seriously sent me like 9 guest reviews saying the same thing over and over again). I've decided to forgo the poll, and just add Juvia into Natsu's harem. So it's official, Juvia is Natsu's sixth, and final ****girl. Thank you random guest reviewer, I was gonna give my readers a chance to decide on whether Juvia joins, but you just pushed me way too far. *Sigh* Sorry about that guys, but if there's on thing that pisses me off it's people spamming me with guest reviews that have nothing to do with the chapter/story. If this guy would have just PM'd me I wouldn't have had a problem. So yeah Juvia is in, and no other girls will be added, SO DON'T ASK! With all that unpleasantness out of the way, let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters :(**

* * *

(The Next Day)

"Mmm, Natsu please don't stop." Lucy moaned in her sleep. The blonde's face was colored a ruddy red, and her entire body was hot as she experienced her pleasurable dream. Lucy let a throaty moan, as she rubbed her thighs together. But since Lucy was fast asleep, she didn't notice that the dragon slayer she was dreaming about was currently watching her.

Natsu and Happy had decided to stop by Lucy's apartment, and tell her that she'd be joining them on Erza's mission. But as Natsu neared the celestial spirit mage's apartment, his enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of soft moaning. Curious, Natsu jumped up onto Lucy's windowsill. What Natsu saw and heard caused his whole body to turn red in embarassment. Lucy was squirming and writhing in her bed, as she moaned his name. But what stuck out most to Natsu was the smell that was assaulting his nose. It was very faint, but it was extremely alluring. A shiver ran through Natsu's body, as he inhaled the intoxicating scent. The dragon slayer had a fairly good idea what the smell was thanks to the talks he had received from Erza and Mira.

_"S-She's dreaming about doing 'that' with m-me?" _Natsu thought, as he turned an even deeper shade of red. _"I kinda thought that Lucy might have a thing for me, but I can't believe she's already thinking about sleeping with me. I-I mean I know that I've thought about doing things like 'that' with her, but I've also thought about doing things with Erza and Mira as well. I like all three of them equally, and I want all of them to be happy. Ugh, what the hell is going on with me?"_

"Uh Natsu, what's Lucy doing?" Happy asked innocently.

"I-I'll tell you some other time buddy." Natsu stuttered out, as he tried desperately to fight off his raging blush. "Let's just wake Lucy up, and get to the train station. I bet that bastard Gray is already there."

Natsu reached out, and gently knocked on Lucy's window. But the blonde merely rolled over, turning her back to Natsu and Happy. So Natsu knocked again, this time a little more forcefully. This woke Lucy up, as she suddenly shot upright in her bed. A faint blush still painted Lucy's face as she stretched. The blonde then yawned and began to rub the sleep out of her eyes. But Lucy's eyes shot open, and all color drained from her face when she saw Natsu and Happy sitting on her windowsill. When Natsu noticed Lucy looking at them, he gave her a weak wave and a nervous smile. Lucy stared at the duo wide-eyed for a moment, before she screamed and ran towards her bathroom. As soon as Lucy entered the bathroom she slammed the door shut and immediately sunk to the floor.

_"Oh God, how much did __he see?! That was a really raunchy dream, and I know that I usually talk in my sleep." _Lucy thought, as she fisted her blonde hair. _"Oh shit! W-What if...he could smell me?!" _Lucy squeaked when she spotted the small wet patch on her pajama bottoms. _"He found me in Hargeon, because he picked up my scent. There is no way he didn't smell me." _The blonde groaned, and put her face into her hands. _"This is going to totally ruin our relationship. He's going to think I'm some sex starved slut or something. Now I have no chance with him." _Lucy's thoughts were suddenly cut off when she heard a few soft knocks.

"Luce?" Natsu hesitantly asked. "Uh, I'm sorry about scaring you a minute ago. Happy and I actually came over to tell you something." Natsu waited a few moments, but there was no reply from the celestial spirit mage. "Lucy, you in there?" Natsu asked, pressing his ear against the door.

"How much did you see?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Huh? What are you-" Natsu was cut off by an exclamation from Lucy.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB!" Lucy yelled from behind the door. "Now answer me. How much did you see?"

"N-Not too much. I just got here a few minutes ago." Natsu admitted, as he rubbed the back of his head. "But I do know what you were dreaming about."

"Oh God." Lucy groaned out, as she felt tears sting her eyes. "You probably think I'm some kind slut now, don't you?"

"Of course not!" Natsu exclaimed immediately. "You're an amazing girl Luce, and you're defiantely not a slut. W-We all get u-urges." Natsu's face immediately turned burned bright read. "I-I know I've had similar t-thoughts about some of the g-girls in the guild."

"Really?" Lucy asked, as she wiped away a tear that was forming.

"Y-Yeah, I've defiantely had a few n-naughty dreams about some of the girls." Natsu replied in an embarrassed tone.

"Oh, and which girls do you think about?" Lucy asked, as a smirk spread across her face.

"W-What?!" Natsu exclaimed, as a new wave of embarassment washed over him.

"Come on, I won't tell anyone." Lucy cooed with a mischievous smile. "It's only fair Natsu. You really embarrassed me back there, now I need a little dirt on you."

"*Gulp* If y-you really must know, when I have these 'd-dreams' they're usually with...God I can't believe I'm about to say this...Erza and Mira." Natsu admitted after a moment of hesitation.

"What about me?" Lucy asked with renewed confidence, as she opened the door slightly. "Do you ever think about me like that?"

"I-I u-uh...u-um...well you s-see." Natsu began to stutter uncontrollably, as he started to break out in a nervous sweat. Lucy smirked and opened the fully opened the door, causing Natsu to take a step back.

"Well Natsu do you ever have naughty thoughts about me?" Lucy asked in a sultry tone, as she slowly walked up to the stuttering dragon slayer.

"W-Well...I-I g-guess I-I have." Natsu said just as Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, her face inches away from the dragon slayer's. Her full breasts pressing against his chest, and her fingers tangling in his hair.

"Y-Yeah Luce." Natsu replied, his face burning bright red.

"Kiss me."

* * *

"NATSU!"

"Huh!? What's wrong?!" Natsu exclaimed, his hands coated in flames.

"You spaced out for a minute there." Happy said, as he flew next to the dragon slayer. "It was really weird. You were just staring ahead with this blank look, while we walked to Lucy's apartment."

"Really?" Natsu asked with a nervous chuckle. "Sorry about that Happy. My mind must have wandered off."

"What were you thinking about Natsu? Your face was really red." Happy asked innocently, nearly causing Natsu to choke on his own breath.

"Uh, it was nothing important Happy." Natsu replied just as Lucy's apartment came into view.

The dragon slayer's face burned bright red, as images of his daydream played back in his mind. Suddenly Lucy's apartment came into view, but this time Natsu didn't hear anything as he approached the blonde's apartment. Taking a deep breath, the dragon slayer jumped up onto Lucy's windowsill. This time Natsu spotted Lucy sleeping in her bed peacefully. However the alluring smell from Natsu's daydream suddenly hit him. The intoxicating smell sent a shiver throughout his body, just like in his dream. Natsu's face burned bright red, as he let out a groan of pleasure.

"You okay Natsu? Because you're acting kinda weird." Happy asked, as he floated next to the dragon slayer.

"I'm fine buddy, let's just wake Lucy up so we can tell her about the mission." Natsu said, as he knocked on Lucy's window.

_"Maybe she does think about me like that._" Natsu thought, tapping on Lucy's window again. _"I'll have to talk to her later about it. I'll have to talk to all three of them eventually."_

Natsu stopped his knocking when he saw Lucy begin to stir. The blonde yawned, as she sat up in her bed. As Lucy stretched she spotted Natsu and Happy outside her window. Lucy squeaked in surprise, as she instinctively covered herself with her blanket. The celestial spirit mage had a slight blush across her face, as she clutched the blanket close to her chest. But when she saw Natsu and Happy smiling at her, she sighed and opened her window.

"What do you two want?" Lucy asked, letting Natsu and Happy into her home.

"We came by to tell you something." Happy replied, as he sat on the table in Lucy's kitchen.

Taking the hint, Lucy walked into the kitchen and began to make breakfast for the three of them. Natsu followed Lucy, and began to get cooking supplies out for her. Once everything was out, the dragon slayer took a seat at the table.

"So what did you guys want to tell me?" Lucy asked, as she put some spices into the eggs she was making. The blonde knew that Natsu loved spicy food, so she made sure to add extras spices into his portion.

"You're coming with us on Erza's mission." Natsu answered, as Lucy handed him his plate.

"Why am I going?" Lucy asked in a confused tone, as she sat across from Natsu.

"Well, you're apart of the team right?" Natsu replied, taking a bite of his food. "Wow...this is pretty good." Natsu said, as he took another bite of his eggs. "I already asked Erza, and she's okay with you going. It's always more fun when we're all together. But if you don't want to go I'll understand."

"No, no I want to go." Lucy said with a smile, eating a forkful of food. "Like you said, we're teammates. What kind of teammate would I be if I missed our first mission as a full team? Plus this is a great chance for me to get to know Erza better."

"That's great to hear Luce." Natsu said with a toothy grin. "We'll head to the train station as soon as we finish eating."

"Okay, let me just get changed first." Lucy said, as she pushed her empty plate forward.

"Sounds good Luce." Natsu said, cleaning of his plate. "Happy and I will head out front. When you're ready we'll head off."

With a quick wave Natsu jumped out the open window, and landed in from of Lucy's apartment. As soon as the dragon slayer left her apartment, Lucy let out a deep sigh. The celestial spirit mage slowly made her way into her bedroom, and began to strip out of her pajamas. As Lucy took of her pajama bottoms, she groaned in annoyance when she spotted the wet spot in her panties.

"Damn it, I had another one of 'those' dreams about Natsu again. It seems like I have one every night now. Luckily he didn't seem to notice. I don't know what I would do if he had found out."

* * *

(5 Minutes Later)

Lucy emerged from apartment a few minutes later dressed in a orange and yellow blouse with a short blue skirt. She quickly spotted Natsu and Happy waiting for her just outside her apartment.

"Ready to go?" Natsu asked, as Lucy walked up.

"Yep! Let's get going!" Lucy said enthusiastically, as the trio made there way towards Magnolia's train station.

Along the way Natsu and Lucy talked about various things, with Happy chiming in every now and then. But something had been bothering Lucy. She knew that Erza and Natsu had gone somewhere last night, but it bothered her that she didn't know what they had done.

"Natsu, what did you and Erza do last night?" Lucy asked suddenly.

The question caught the dragon slayer off guard, as he blinked at Lucy a few times before he answered.

"Oh, we didn't do too much. She treated me to dinner, than she came back to my place for a bit." Natsu replied with a shrug.

"W-What did you do at your place?" Lucy asked, a sudden sense of jealousy filling her.

"Same thing we did during dinner, we just talked the whole time. It was nice to catch up after not seeing each other for over a week." Natsu answered with a small smile. "I really missed her."

"So all you did was talk, nothing else?" Lucy asked with a skeptical tone.

"Yep, we just talked for a few hours, then Erza went home to get ready for the mission." Natsu replied, as the train station came into view. "There's the station, I bet that asshole Gray is already there."

"Why do you hate Gray so much?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Too many reasons to list." Natsu grumbled out, as the trio stepped into Magnolia's train station.

Sure enough Natsu was right. Waiting for them when they entered the station was Gray Fullbuster. The ice user immediately started to glare at Natsu as soon as he spotted him. Without missing a beat Gray stormed over, and butted heads with Natsu.

"Where the hell have you been flame brain? I've been waiting for a half hour." Gray asked, annoyance evident in his tone.

"I was getting Lucy, got a problem with that you stupid popsicle." Natsu answered with a slight growl.

"Lucy?" Gray asked in a confused tone. The ice mage looked past Natsu, and spotted Lucy standing sheepishly off to the side. "And why is she coming with us?"

"She's apart of me and Erza's team, so she'll be joining us on this mission. Lucy is a very capable mage, and will be a great help on this job." Natsu defended Lucy, causing a slight blush to spread across the blonde's face.

"Tch, whatever you say. Why did Erza even invite you? I'm more than enough help for whatever mission she wants us to go on." Gray said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Is there ice clogging your fucking brain. Erza and I have been a team for over seven years, of course she'd invite me on this mission." Natsu said, once again butting heads with Gray. "If you want to pussy out and not come, I'll gladly let Erza kill you when we get back."

"What the hell did you just say you hotheaded jackass!" Gray exclaimed, grabbing Natsu by his vest.

"Oh, you want to go you frozen piece of shit!" Natsu shot back, fists clenching Gray's jacket.

"Both of you chill the fuck out!" Lucy yelled, as she stomped her foot. "You're both causing nothing but trouble. *Sigh* I wish you two could just get along for five minutes." Lucy huffed, as she crossed her arms underneath her chest.

"Sorry Luce," Natsu said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Luce? How cute you already have a pet name for her." Gray said with a smug smirk.

"It's not a pet name! It's a nickname, and Lucy happens to like it!" Natsu exclaimed, as he went back to butting heads with Gray. "So why don't you mind your own damn business, you shit flavored popsicle!"

"I'll do whatever I damn well please!" Gray said, glaring at Natsu. "Hey you pink-haired douchebag, why do you carry that sleeping back with you everywhere?"

"It was given to me by a friend seven years ago, and I use it to sleep in you idiot." Natsu said, placing a hand on the sleeping bag on top of his pack.

"*Sigh* This is getting way out of hand." Lucy said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Just then a thought popped into Lucy's head, and a mischievous smile spread across her face. "Ah! Erza-san, we're right over here!"

"Let's get along buddy!" Gray said, as he immediately wrapped his arm around Natsu's neck, and a large smile was plastered on his face. But when Gray turned to face where Erza was supposed to be coming from, he only saw a giggling Lucy. Gray turned his head to see Natsu giggling as well.

"That was too funny!" Lucy exclaimed, as she bent over and burst out laughing.

"You tricked me!" Gray yelled, as his eyes widened.

"Man you're way to easy to fool ice for brain." Natsu said with a wide grin.

"How did you know that Erza wasn't here?" Gray asked with a frown.

"I can sorta sense when Erza is nearby. We've been together for so long, that I can tell when she's close by." Natsu said with a shrug, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Great, it wasn't bad enough that I had to go on this mission with that flame brained idiot, but now I have to go with some chick that I barely no." Gray complained, as he put a hand over his stomach. "I already feel sick."

"Want some fish Gray?" Happy asked, pulling a fish out of his green pack.

"NO!" Gray exclaimed in an annoyed tone. But Gray froze stiff when he heard a voice speak up behind him.

"Sorry that I'm late you guys." Erza said, as she pulled a massive cart full of luggage behind her.

"Wow, that's way too much luggage!" Lucy exclaimed, as she gazed wide-eyed at Erza's numerous bags.

"Ah, Lucy it's great to see you." Erza said with a smile. "After what Natsu has told me about you, you should be a great addition on this mission. But I must warn you that job will be rather risky."

"R-Risky?" Lucy parroted in a worried tone.

"Erza, before we go I have one request." Natsu said, getting the redhead's attention.

"Yes Natsu, what is it?" Erza asked sweetly, as she walked up to the dragon slayer.

"When we get back I want to fight you again." Natsu said straight faced without a hint worry. "I've grow much stronger since our last fight, and I think that I might be able to beat you now."

"You idiot! Do you have some kind of death wish or something?!" Gray hissed, his eyes wide in shock.

"Well you've definitely grown stronger since our last bout, I'll give you that." Erza said with a small smile, as she brushed a few scarlet locks out of her face. "All though I'm not so certain in my abilities, I accept your challenge Natsu. It would be a pleasure to fight you again."

"Erza if we're gonna fight, I want you to be one hundred percent confident in yourself. This has to be a serious fight." Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest. "It wouldn't feel right if you weren't giving it your all."

"Oh I know Natsu don't worry." Erza reassured the dragon slayer. "But you're quite strong, and I just wanted to let you know that." Erza then turned to look at Gray. "Gray...do you want to fight me as well?"

"Fuck no!" Gray exclaimed, as he waved his arms frantically. "I rather like having all my bones intact."

"YEAH! LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!" Natsu roared, as he sprinted towards their train. Lightning surged of Natsu's body, as he ran past scared pedestrians.

"*Sigh* Man he is such a hothead." Lucy said, as she rubbed her temples.

"Yes he is, but I think that's one of his admirable traits." Erza said with a smile, as she followed after the dragon slayer. "Come on everyone let's get going."

"HAHAHA! HURRY UP YOU SLOWPOKES!" Natsu yelled out the train's window. "I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

* * *

"Someone please kill me." Natsu moaned weakly, as he sunk into his seat. Sweat poured off the dragon slayer's body, as his stomach churned.

"Man you're pathetic." Gray said with an annoyed huff. "Go sit somewhere else if you're gonna be annoying! Even better, get off the train and run alongside it!"

"If I wasn't in extreme pain right now, I'd kick the shit out of you Gray." Natsu said in a weak voice, as he glared at Gray.

"I know this happens all the time, but that still looks painful." Lucy said, giving Natsu a sympathetic look. "Natsu, why don't you lay-"

"I guess there's no other way." Erza said, cutting Lucy off. The scarlet haired woman smiled at Natsu, and patted the seat next to her. "Come sit next to me Natsu."

_"I guess I have to move." _Lucy thought, as she shot Erza a quick glare. Lucy's glare wasn't missed by Erza. The knight merely smirked at Lucy, as Natsu sat next to her. _"Tch, she did that on purpose."_

"Lay your head down Natsu." Erza said sweetly, earning a smile from Natsu.

"T-Thanks Erza." Natsu said, laying his head down on Erza's lap. "Ugh, stupid m-motion sickness."

"Shh, just relax and get some rest Natsu." Erza said barely above a whisper, as she ran her fingers through Natsu's pink locks. The dragon slayer smiled, as his eyes slowly closed. "Just close your eyes, and we'll be there in no time."

_"Wow, she's like a completely different person when she's with Natsu." _Lucy thought, as she watched Erza smile down at Natsu. _"It's actually really sweet the way they act around each other. It almost makes me want to just let her have him, but I can't and won't ignore my own feelings. I just wish there was a way for all of us to be happy."_

The group sat in silence for awhile, with Natsu sleeping soundly in Erza's lap. Gray and Happy stared out the window, Lucy organized the things in her pack, and Erza continued to comb her fingers through Natsu's hair. When Lucy finished sorting out her bag, she decided to break the silence.

"Now that I think about it, I've never seen any other magic besides Natsu's at Fairy Tail." Lucy said, turning her head to look at Erza. "What kind of magic do you use Erza-san?"

"Please just call me Erza, we're on the same team Lucy. So there's no need for formalities." Erza said, smiling at Lucy. "To answer your question, I use **Re-equip** magic. It allows me to change my weapons and armor almost instantaneously."

"Wow that sounds awesome!" Lucy exclaimed with wide-eyes.

"Yeah, Erza's magic is so pretty. Lots of her opponent's blood came out in the end." Happy said, making Lucy sweat drop.

"How is that supposed to be pretty?" Lucy asked with a disgusted look.

"My magic is nothing special." Erza said, turning to face Gray. "Actually I think Gray's magic is very beautiful."

"It is?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What type of magic do you use Gray?" Lucy asked, giving Gray her full attention.

"Hmph!" Gray grunted, as he punched his palm. The air around Gray's hands began to chill. Suddenly a small Fairy Tail symbol made out of ice materialized in Gray's hand. "I'm an ice mage."

"Wah! That's so cool!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes wide in awe. Suddenly realization struck Lucy and she gasped. "That's why you and Natsu don't get along. Fire and Ice, you two are so straightforward it's actually kinda cute."

"Who cares about that?" Gray said with a flustered look. "Anyway let's get ready. Erza, what's going on exactly? You asking for anybody but Natsu's help doesn't happen very often."

"Yeah, let me explain" Erza said, as she closed her eyes. "I was on my way back from my last mission. When I stopped by a bar in Onibus, where mages tend to gather. Some mages there happened to catch my attention."

* * *

(Flashback 3 Days Ago)

"Man that was a boring mission, it would have been more enjoyable if Natsu had been there." Erza said quietly to herself, as she nursed her drink. The re-equip mage was seated at a table near the back of the bar.

"RAH! WHERE THE HELL ARE MY BOOZE!?" A voice yelled from across the bar.

Erza turned her head and spotted a table with four mages on the other side of the bar. One of the mages appeared to be hassling with one of the bar waitresses.

"Oi! Why the hell are you slow!?" One of the mages yelled, as he waved his empty mug. The mage had his feet kicked up on the table, and he seemed to have whiskers on his face.

"I...I-I'm sorry, I'll be r-right back with your drink." The waitress said in a shaky voice, before she ran back to the bar to fetch the drinks.

"Byard don't get so upset." Another mage wearing a black and yellow hood chastised, as he leaned back in his chair.

"How can I not be pissed off about this?!" Byard exclaimed, as he slammed his mug onto the table. "We finally found the hidden 'Lullaby,' but it was all sealed up! How'd that even happen?! We have no way of breaking the seal!"

"Idiot! You're being too fucking loud!" The hooded mage hissed.

"Shit!" Byard said, as his eyes shifted across the bar.

"It's not like we can break the seal, even with more people." A mage with a dark-haired ponytail said. "I'll take care of this, so you guys head back to the guild. Just let Erigor-san know." The mage said with a smile. "I will definitely be back with 'Lullaby' in three days."

"For real?! Did you figure out how to break the seal?!" Byard said with wide eyes.

"Oh! Great work Kageyama!" The hooded mage exclaimed with a smirk.

* * *

(Back to the Present)

"Lullaby?" Gray said, as he rubbed his chin.

"Lullaby...is it some sort of magic that puts people to sleep?" Lucy suggested, turning to look at Erza.

"I don't know...but since it's sealed, it probably contain a very powerful magic." Erza replied, as she looked at the floor.

"Wait, I don't get it." Gray said, leaning forward in his seat. "So you came across some mages that wanted to break the seal off some unknown magic...maybe it was just for a job they were doing."

"That's what I thought at first." Erza said, as her eyes darkened. "That is, until I remembered the name Erigor. The strongest mage in the guild Eisenwald, Erigor the Shinigami."

"Shinigami?!" Lucy parroted, as a shiver ran down her spine.

"He received that nickname, because he only takes assassination requests." Erza explained, causing Lucy to gulp in fear. "The council forbids mages from taking assassination jobs, but Eisenwald chose money over following the rules." The train began to slow down, as it pulled into Onibus station. "Six years ago Eisenwald was ousted from the guild league, and was labeled a dark guild."

"Dark guild?!" Lucy whispered, as she began to sweat in fear.

"Wait, you said they were ousted, but did Eisenwald receive any punishment?" Lucy asked Erza, as they started to get off the train.

"They were. Eisenwald's master was arrested, and the guild was ordered to disband." Erza answered, pulling her cart of luggage off the train. "Though most dark guilds keep function regardless and ignore the council's orders."

"M-Maybe I should head back after all." Lucy said as fear filled her body.

"It was a blunder on my part...If I had remembered the name Erigor back at the bar, I would have slain them all." Erza in a menacing tone, as her gaze darkened.

Right, if it was just the mages at the bar you could probably have handled them all yourself Erza." Gray said, putting his hands in his pockets. "But when it's an entire guild." Gray started to trail off near the end.

"They have an ancient magic called 'Lullaby' and are planning something. We cannot overlooks this any longer." Erza said, as she turned to face Gray and Lucy. "We'll march to Eisenwald, and take them down ourselves."

"Hmm, I like the sound of that." Gray said with a smirk.

"I really should have stayed home." Lucy groaned, as she trudged after Gray and Erza. "Do you even know where Eisenwald is, Erza?"

"That's why we came to this town, to find that out." Erza said, turning to look at Lucy.

When Erza looked at Lucy something seemed off to her. The re-equip mage studied the blonde for a moment. Lucy noticed Erza staring, and raised and eyebrow.

"What's wrong Er-" Sudden realization struck Lucy and Erza simultaneously.

"NATSU'S NOT HERE!" Erza and Lucy yelled, as they both started running back towards the train station, with a disgruntled Gray and a giggling Happy following closely behind.

When the group got back to the train station, they were surprised to see that the train had already departed. Erza grit her teeth, and clenched her fists.

"Damn it! I was too focused on explaining the situation, and I forgot to grab Natsu when we left the train. He's terrible with transportation too, so he's probably half dead on that train." Erza closed her eyes, and turned to Lucy. "It's all my fault! Lucy please hit me!"

"Whoa, calm down Erza." Lucy said, as she held up her hands. _"Even though I really would like to smack you for forgetting Natsu on a damn train!" _

Erza grunted and began to scan the train platform. She quickly spotted a conductor, and stormed over to him. She grabbed the man by the collar, and frantically began to explain the situation to him.

"So that's what's going on! I need you to stop that train!" Erza exclaimed, as she released the conductor. "Please understand, it's for one of our nakama!"

"Stop talking nonsense! I can't stop the train just because one person forgot to get of!" The conductor yelled, as he dusted himself off.

Erza glared at the conductor, causing the man to flinch under her harsh gaze. The red-haired mage tore her gaze from the conductor, and spotted and emergency stop switch on the wall behind him. Acting quickly, Erza grabbed the conductor and headbutted him. The conductor fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. Erza stepped over the unconscious conductor, and puled the emergency stop switch. Alarms went off and lights flashed throughout the station. The other people in the station looked around either in fear or confusion.

"Come on let's go after Natsu." Erza said, turning to a group of people behind her. "Excuse me, but could you please deliver this to Hotel Chili?" Erza asked, as she handed over her cart full of luggage. "Thanks."

"Who...are you...?" One of the people asked, but Erza had already left.

"Wow that went downhill fast." Lucy commented, releasing a deep sigh.

"Indeed." Gray said, as he walked up next to Lucy.

"Gray, you're fucking clothes are gone again." Lucy said, as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

* * *

(Back on the Train)

"*Groan* W-Why the fuck am I s-still on this thing?" Natsu moaned weakly, as he sat slumped in his seat. "W-Where did everyone else g-go? E-Erza? L-Lucy? Hell I'll even take Gray."

"Excuse me sir, but is this seat taken?"

Natsu slowly raised his head to see a man with dark hair done up in a spiky ponytail, smiling down at him. The dragon slayer didn't say anything, but he managed to weakly gesture to the seat across from him. The dark-haired man let out a content sigh, as he sunk into the seat across from Natsu. After a few moments the newcomer leaned forward, and began to examine Natsu. The dragon slayer continued to groan in pain, as sweat poured off his body. When the man spotted the Fairy Tail mark on Natsu's arm, he let out an impressed whistle.

"My, my, my you seem to be in pain. Are you okay? I'm Kageyama, and who might you be?" Natsu managed to moan weakly in response. Kageyama clasped his hands,and smiled at Natsu. "Fairy Tail. A regular guild, huh...I envy you." Kageyama said with a sickly sweet smile. "Speaking of Fairy Tail...Mirajane is pretty famous isn't she. I always see her in magazines, and she's always so beautiful." Natsu managed to lift his head, and leveled a harsh glare at Kageyama. "I wonder why she's not an active mage anymore, she's still so young." Natsu unconsciously clenched his fists, as his breathing started to become ragged. "And I don't know her name, but I heard the new girl's pretty hot. Do you know her?" A throaty growl escaped Natsu's throat, as he felt electricity begin so surge through his body. "I've noticed that normal guild have lots of pretty girls...I envy that about you, because there's no girls in my guild. Would you please share some of your girls?" That was the last straw for Natsu, he was ready to beat the shit out of this guy. But before Natsu could make a move, he received a fierce kick to the face. "Don't give me the silent treatment you little shit! That's discriminatory to dark guilds!"

"Huh?" Natsu said, as he pushed the Kageyama's foot out of his face.

"OH! So you finally talk!" Kageyama said with a menacing grin.

"G-Get your f-fucking foot out of m-my face." Natsu said weakly, as he continued to glare at the dark-haired man.

"Excuse me, you're gonna have to speak up because I can't understand you." Kageyama said, as he cupped a hand over his ear. "Fairy Tail has been getting a lot of attention lately. You know, stuck up people like that really annoy me. Do you know what he call Fairy Tail...we call you all flies. Flyswatting." Kageyama smacked Natsu upside the head, causing the dragon slayer to snap. The pink-haired mage rose from his seat, and bared his teeth at Kageyama. "Oh, are you gonna do something punk."

"RAH!" Natsu roared, as electricity sparked to life around his hands. The dragon slayer cocked his fist back, but before he could punch the man across from him the train started to go downhill. The electricity around Natsu's hands quickly died, as he sunk back into his seat.

"HAHAHA! What the fuck was that?!" Kageyama laughed, smacking his knee. When Kageyama stopped laughing, he shot Natsu a evil grin. "You have to use magic like this!" Several tendrils made of shadows shot out of the Kageyama's own shadow. Suddenly the shadows shot out of the ground, and hit Natsu with a powerful uppercut. "HAHAHAHA!" The Kageyama laughed, as Natsu fell to the floor.

Suddenly a loud screeching sound echoed throughout the train, as Natsu and Kageyama shot forward. After a few moments the train came to a complete stop. Kageyama groaned in pain, as he pushed himself off the ground. But Kageyama's eyes widened when he saw that his pack was open, and its contents where scattered on the floor.

"I-It stopped." Natsu said, as he forced himself to his feet. But something sticking out of Kageyama's bag caught the dragon slayer's attention. The object was a wooden flute with a three-eyed skull at the top.

"Shit, you saw it!" Kageyama said, as he began to sweat.

"Shut up!" Natsu roared, as electricity coursed around his body. "Thanks so much for earlier." Natsu cocked his fist back, and coated it with powerful lightning. "It's payback time motherfucker!"

**"Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"**

Natsu hit Kageyama with an electrically charged right hook. The dark mage was sent flying across the train car, and into the next car. Kageyama spit out some blood, as he struggled to get to his fist. When Kageyama managed to get on his feet, he spotted Natsu glaring at him.

"Who's the fly now you bastard?!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin, as he cracked his knuckles.

"Y-You son of a bitch." Kageyama rasped out, as blood freely flowed from his nose.

Suddenly the intercoms on the train came to life. "We've confirmed that the emergency brake was due to a false report. We'll be departing shortly. We thank you for your patience."

"Fuck that, I'm outta here!" Natsu screamed, as he ran and grabbed his bags.

"I won't let you get away!" Kageyama yelled, hobbling back into the car Natsu was in. "You picked a fight with Eisenwald! Don't think you can get away with that you pathetic fly!"

"The same goes for you! I know your ugly mug now!" Natsu exclaimed, veins bulging on his head. The dragon slayer clenched his teeth, and snarled at Kageyama. "Making fun of Fairy Tail, and threatening Mira and Lucy. I'll fight you outside next ti-" Natsu quickly covered his mouth as the train started to move again.

Before his motion sickness could incapacitate him, Natsu jumped out the train's window. But to Natsu's complete surprise there was a magic four wheeler tailing the train. As Natsu flew closer to the magic four wheeler, his eyes widened when he saw that Erza was driving it.

"ERZAAAAAAAAA!" Natsu yelled, as he flew closer to the magical vehicle.

"Natsu!?" Erza exclaimed, as her eyes widened. The knight quickly veered the magic four wheeler closer to Natsu.

"Why the fuck did you fly out of the train?!" Gray yelled, climbing on top of the four wheeler.

"What's goin-HOLY SHIT IS THAT NATSU?!" Lucy yelled, as she leaned out the four wheeler's window.

Gray's eyes widened as Natsu headed straight for him at high speed. Before the ice mage even had a chance to react the dragon slayer collided with him. Both mages crashed together head first, and were sent flying off the magic four wheeler.

"Natsu! Are you alright?!" Erza exclaimed, as she slammed on the brakes.

"Y-Yeah I'm good." Natsu said, rubbing the lump on his forehead.

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking." Gray said, as he dusted himself off. "God damn it Natsu! What were you thinking, you flaming bastard!"

"I seemed to have lost some of my memory due to the shock just now." Natsu said, quirking an eyebrow. "Who the hell are you? And why do you smell like shit?"

"Why you?!" Gray roared, grabbing Natsu by his scarf.

"GRAY! Keep your hands off Natsu!" Erza's menacing voice echoed out, as she stepped off the magical four wheeler.

"Natsu we're so sorry!" Happy exclaimed, landing on Natsu's head.

"Happy! Lucy! Erza! How could you forget me?! Especially you Erza! I thought we were best friends!" Natsu whined, as anime tears poured from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Natsu, I was careless." Erza said, hanging her head. "Please hit me as punishment."

"S-Sorry Natsu, I'll make it up to you later." Lucy said with a nervous smile.

"Anyway I'm glad you're safe." Erza said, as she pulled Natsu in for a hug. Natsu was surprised when he felt a few tears drop onto the back of his vest. "I was so worried that you'd get hurt. I don't know what I'd do if something had happened to you."

"Hey, hey I'm fine Erza." Natsu reassured the knight, as he patted her armored back. Erza smiled and nodded, as she wiped the tears out of her left eye.

_"Why does she get to hug Natsu?! I want to hug him to!" _Lucy thought, as gave Erza a jealous look.

As if sensing her thoughts, Lucy soon felt Natsu's strong arms wrapped around her. She looked up to see Natsu grinning at her. Lucy smiled back, and wrapped her arms around Natsu as well.

"You looked lie you needed a hug too." Natsu said with a light chuckle.

"I'm just glad that you're safe Natsu." Lucy said with a content sigh, as the dragon slayer released her.

"Geez, why does flame brain get all the girls?" Gray muttered to himself.

"You guys missed it. Some weirdo on the train tried to pick a fight with me." Natsu said, causing Erza's eyes to widen.

"Was is someone from Eisenwald?" Erza asked, earning a nod from Natsu. The red-haired mage walked up to Natsu, and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Natsu, Eisenwald is the dark guild we're going after."

"Really?! That's the first I'm hearing about this." Natsu said, scratching his chin.

"You said he was on the train earlier, right? We have to chase after him." Erza said, placing the magical four wheeler's SE-plug onto her arm. "Do you remember what he looked like?"

"Not really, there wasn't anything special about him." Natsu said before he snapped his fingers. "But he was carrying a flute with a three-eyed skull at the end of it."

"What? That's fucking weird." Gray commented, as he walked back to the four wheeler.

"A flute with a three-eyed skull." Lucy said, as she began to shake in fear.

"What's up Lucy?" Happy asked, flying up to the blonde.

"No...it can't be...it's just a made up story...but...if that flute is the cursed song...lullaby...sleep...death..." Lucy said, clenching her fists. "That flute is lullaby! Lullaby...the magic of death!"

"What?!" Erza exclaimed, her eyes widening.

"A cursed song?" Gray parroted with a raised eyebrow.

"I've only read about it in a book, but among forbidden magic, there is such a thing as 'murder by curse,' right?" Lucy asked Erza.

"Yeah...just like the name says, it'll curse the target and cast death. It's a black magic." Erza answered, making Lucy's eyes harden.

"Lullaby is far worse than that." Lucy said, making everyone gasp in shock.

* * *

(Kunugi Station)

Patrons at the Kunugi train station ran in fear from a group mages that had marched into the train station. The group of dark mages was led by non other than Erigor the Shinigami.

"Get all these pests and the driver of the train." Erigor commanded, resting his massive scythe on his shoulder. "Eisenwald is taking this station over." Erigor walked onto the train, and spotted Kageyama sitting on one of the seats. "I heard that you were coming back on this train so we've been waiting for you, Kageyama."

"I managed to break the seal, hee hee." Kageyama said with a grin, as he pulled Lullaby out of his pack. "This is it, Erigor."

"I see..." Erigor said, grabbing Lullaby out of Kageyama's hand. "This is it, the forbidden magic, Lullaby."

"YEAH!" The other Eisenwald members let out a loud cheer.

"Great work Kageyama." Byard compliment with a smirk. "Don't you think Rayule?"

"Yes indeed, now out plan is complete." Rayule said, as he adjusted his stripped hood.

"The flute was just a tool for 'murder by curse' at first." Kageyama explained, getting everyone's attention. "But the dark mage, Zeref, further developed this flute into something much worse and far more powerful."

"Indeed...he created such an evil thing." Erigor said with an evil smirk. "Mass-curse murder magic, Lullaby." Erigor had a magical grin, as he tapped the magical flute in his hands. "It puts a curse on everyone that hears its melody! Let's get this show rolling boys!"

Further down the track, Erza's magic four wheeler raced towards Kunugi station. Gray held onto of the magical vehicle, while Natsu and Lucy sat inside. Erza was pumping a large amount of her magical energy into the vehicle, so it could go its top speed. The scenery raced by, as the four wheeler flew down the tracks.

"Mass-curse murder magic!?" Erza said to herself, clenching her teeth in anger. "If Erigor got ahold of such a thing...Bastards! What are they planning to do?!"

* * *

**And done! Well shits started to really go down in this chapter. The Lullaby arc is starting to get under way now. I'll try to make next chapter a little longer, so we can get most of this arc finished. Then I will try to finish the Lullaby arc in the chapter after the next one. So what did you guys think?! Please let me know. Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW I NEED THEM, and PM ideas for this story an additional ideas are very ****welcome. Also remember that Juvia will now be in Natsu's harem, no more girls so don't bother asking. Sorry if you didn't want Juvia to join, you can thank the guy who spammed with guest reviews for the absence of a poll. So the official, and final, harem list is now: Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Mirajane, Flare, and Juvia! That's all, so until next time I'm outta here!**


	8. Chapter 8 Rumble at Oshibana Station

**Ugh! You guys have no idea how much I just want blow through these first few arcs. God I wish I could just skip the Galuna Island arc(I don't really like that arc very much) I have so much good shit planned for the later ****chapters, especially the upcoming Phantom Lord arc(So look out for that one ;) ) This chapter will cover a large portion of the Lullaby arc, and the next chapter should finish it off. Also, Holy Shit! This story is already over 400 followers, almost at 400 favorites, and is getting close to 200 reviews. So thank you all for supporting this story. Let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of it's character. They are all owned by Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

(10 Minutes Later; Kunugi Station)

Erza's magic four wheeler slowly came to a stop just outside Kunugi station. The magical vehicle came to a stop behind a fence on the other side of the tracks. From where they were the Fairy Tail mages could overhear the commotion happening in the station.

"A bunch of crazy people carrying weapons stormed onto the train!" An elderly passenger explained to a royal army guard.

"I know who those people are!" Another passenger exclaimed. "They're from a nearby dark guild!"

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing, as she leaned out the four wheeler's window.

"They...took over a train?!" Lucy said in disbelief, as she sat back in the four wheeler. She then placed Natsu's head back into her lap, running her fingers through his hair. "I can understand a horse-drawn carriage or a boat but a train...?"

"Aye...it doesn't seem very beneficial since it can only run its rails." Happy said, rubbing his chin.

"But a train has speed on its side." Gray said, as he began to take of his clothes. "Maybe they're in a hurry to carry out what they're planning?"

"Gray for the love of God keep your clothes on." Lucy groaned, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do thing the military will be able to help at all, Erza?"

"I hope so." Erza said, glaring at the tracks that lay ahead. "But I've got a real bad feeling about what's ahead."

Further up the tracks, the Eisenwald mages were preparing for the next stage of their plan. While the other dark mages made preparations, Kageyama was explaining what had happened to him to Erigor.

"Flies you say?" Erigor asked, scratching his head with Lullaby.

"It was some pink-haired bastard on the train a minute ago." Kageyama explained, as he rubbed his sore jaw. "But you don't have to worry. That brat was nothing but a joke."

Erigor ground his teeth, as his left eye twitched. Suddenly two blades of wind shot forward, and slashed the end of Kageyama's ears. Kageyama howled in pain, clutching his bleeding ears. Erigor leaned forward, and glared at Kageyama.

"Don't tell me he found out about Lullaby." Erigor said in a low tone.

"E-Even if he did, no one w-would be able to stop our p-plans." Kageyama said through the piercing pain in his ears.

"Of course." Erigor said, his eyes darkening. "But we cannot have anyone getting in our way. Do I make myself clear?" Erigor began to twirl Lullaby between his fingers. After a moment he stopped, and pointed the demonic flute at the other Eisenwald mages. "Flies huh? This is one forest they really should't be flying in."

A few miles behind the train, Erza's magical four wheeler was speeding through the town of Kunugi at a blistering speed. Gray had to hold onto the vehicle's roof for dear life, as Erza swerved and weaved around corners. The ice mage's eyes widened when he saw the S.E. plug attached to Erza's arm start to inflate.

"Erza slow the fuck down!" Gray screamed, as Erza made a particular tight turn. "That S.E. plug is really starting to inflate!"

"If Erigor plays that flute a lot of people will die!" Erza exclaimed over the roar of the four wheeler's engine. "Human lives are in stake right now!"

"I know that, but right now we have no idea what they're planning." Gray argued, as he ducked under some flying debris. "You should slow down, because we will likely end up having to fight those bastards."

"I don't care." Erza said, as the four wheeler started to go even faster. The vehicle had cleared the city limits, and was now racing towards the next town. "If it comes down to it, I'll use a stick to fight." The knight then turned her head to look up at Gray. "Besides I still have you guys with me. That's why I brought you with me and Natsu. Plus with what Natsu has told me, Lucy should be able to help us fight as well."

"ERZA!" Natsu's voice rang out from inside the carriage.

"Yeah Natsu!" Erza called out, turning to look into the four wheeler's carriage. She saw that the dragon slayer was laying in Lucy's lap. The celestial spirit mage seemed to doing her best to calm the dragon slayer's motion sickness. But despite her efforts Natsu still looked rather green.

"I-I know that you're w-worried about what Erigor and Eisenwald are p-planning, but p-please take it easy." Natsu weakly said, his eyes meeting Erza's. "W-We don't need you collapsing from exhaustion b-before we even get t-there." Erza saw the worry in Natsu's eyes. With a sigh Erza slowed the amount of magic she was pumping into the S.E. plug. The four wheeler slowed down, but was still keeping up a good pace. "T-Thank you." Natsu said, flashing Erza a weak smile.

"Tch, you're a sucker when it comes to flame brain." Gray commented, but as soon as the words left his mouth a chill ran down his spine.

"You want me to come up there and show you what I do to people who call me a sucker?" Erza said in a menacing voice, her eyes narrowed dangerously at the ice user.

"N-NO! I-I'M SORRY!" Gray yelled, as he waved his arms frantically.

"Good that's what I thought." Erza said, turning back forward. "Lucy keep Natsu healthy back there." Erza said, as the train's next stop came into view. "It looks like things might get rough pretty soon, and we're gonna need him to be in fighting shape."

"Sure thing Erza." Lucy said, as she returned to running her fingers through Natsu's hair. "Don't worry Natsu, we'll be there soon enough." The dragon slayer groaned, and buried his head into Lucy's thighs.

"Thank you Luce." Natsu said, his voiced muffled by Lucy's thighs. This would normally cause Lucy to blush madly, but she was starting to get used to the dragon slayer's antics. Instead of blushing a small smile spread across Lucy's face.

"Lucy, I think I had something to tell you." Happy said, scratching his head in confusion. "But I can't remember what it is."

"What is it Happy?" Lucy asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I just told you, I can't remember." Happy said, his brow furrowing.

"Well you're making me curious, so try and remember." Lucy said, as Happy began to rub his chin.

"Oh man! I don't feel good!" Natsu exclaimed, as he shot out of Lucy's lap and leaned out the window.

"Not feeling...good..." Happy muttered, his scrunching up as his mind began to work.

"Natsu be careful!" Lucy screamed, as she grabbed onto the back of Natsu's vest. "You might fall out!"

"Ugh...please...just push me out already." Natsu groaned out, as his cheeks swelled.

"Hrm what did I want to tell Lucy?" Happy hummed, as he watched Lucy try to pull Natsu back into the four wheeler. "Lucy. Weirdo. Fish. Yummy. Lucy. Weirdo."

"I'm not weird you stupid cat!" Lucy exclaimed, turning to glare at Happy.

"What is that?" Erza asked with wide eyes, as she spotted smoke billowing out of the Oshibana train station. "I'm sorry Natsu, but we have to move." Erza said, as she pumped more magical energy into the S.E. plug. "Everyone hold on!"

* * *

(Five Minutes Later; Oshibana Station)

Erza came to a stop just outside the Oshibana train station. A large crowd had gathered around the station. People were murmuring and talking to each other to try and discover what was going on.

"Alright everyone time to get out." Erza said, pulling the S.E. plug of her wrist. "We need to find out what's going on." Erza hopped of the magical four wheeler with the rest of the group following closely behind her.

"Ladies and gentlemen please stay back! It's quite dangerous here!" A police officer called out through a megaphone. "A trained happened to derail by accident, so no one is allowed to go into the station. Until we can confirm the situation inside the station, it will be closed to the public."

"Let's go!" Erza exclaimed, pushing her way through the crowd of people. "Out of my way!"

"Everyone move!" Natsu yelled, following right behind Erza. "Step aside everyone!"

"But guys the station is closed!" Lucy said, struggling to keep up with Natsu and Erza's pace.

"Screw what they said Luce!" Natsu said with a grin, as he grabbed Lucy's hand. The blonde gasped in shock when the dragon slayer yanked her forward, so that she was now right behind Erza.

"Lucy we have no time to waste listening to them." Erza said, shoving a bystander off to the side. "Every second counts, so we have to be fast." Finally reaching the front of the crowd, Erza spotted a police officer trying to keep people back. "What's going on inside the station?" Erza asked, walking up to the officer.

"Excuse me miss, but who are you?" The officer asked, raising an eyebrow. Instead of saying anything, Erza growled and headbutted the officer. The man groaned, and fell over unconscious.

Erza spotted two other officers, and approached them. "What's going on inside?" The officer just gave Erza a surprised look. Again Erza headbutted the officer, knocking him unconscious. Erza walked up to the third officer, and tapped his shoulder. "What's going on inside?" The officer let out a startled shriek when he turned to face Erza. Growling in annoyance, Erza like before headbutted the man.

"Guess she only likes people who give her an immediate response, doesn't she?" Lucy asked, as she watched Erza walking up to several other officers, head butting each of them.

"That's Erza for you." Natsu said with a sweatdrop. "She can be rather unorthodox at times."

"I guess you know her better now." Gray said in a frightened tone, as he watched Erza walk back towards them.

"*Sigh* Those guys didn't know anything." Erza said, putting her hands on her hips. "Let's just head inside."

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, as everyone followed Erza into the station.

Walking into the station, the Fairy Tail mages were greeted to a troubling sight. The stairs and entrance to the station were littered with bodies of defeated royal army soldiers. Most were still alive, however they were very badly injured, but Erza could tell that some of the soldiers were in fact dead. The sight made all the Fairy Tail mages cringe, even a hardened mage like Erza.

"I can't believe they've all been defeated." Happy said in disbelief, as he floated over the defeated soldiers.

"Our enemy is a dark guild, which means they're all mages." Erza said, making her way through the station. The Fairy Tail mages all took great care to step over the fallen soldiers in there way. "A military platoon like this one would't stand a chance."

"Hurry up! The platform is this way!" Gray said, once they had moved past all the soldiers. The ice mage pointed towards a set of doors at the end of the hall. Everyone sprinted down the hall, and burst through the doors at the end of it. On the other side of the door was something that the Fairy Tail mages weren't expecting. Waiting for them appeared to be over four dozen Eisenwald mages. Erza spotted Erigor sitting atop the parked train.

"I knew you'd come." Erigor said, resting his scythe on his shoulder. "Welcome to hell, Fairy Tail!"

"Shit, what's with all these people?" Lucy hissed, as fear began to spread through her body.

"Heh, we've been waiting for you." Erigor said, an evil grin spread across his face.

"You're Erigor right?" Erza asked, glaring at Eisenwald's Shinigami. Her fists began to unconsciously clench.

"You damn flies, it's because of you..." Kageyama growled, as he glared at Natsu.

"Hey calm down Kage-chan." Rayule said, placing a hand on Kageyama's shoulder.

"What do you intend to do?" Erza asked, her voice taking on a menacing tone. "Your answer will decide whether I punish you all, or simply hand you off to the authorities."

"Ha, we're just having a little fun." Erigor answered with a twisted grin. "We haven't gotten a lot of jobs recently, and we're getting really bored." All the other Eisenwald mages burst out laughing, as Erigor began to lift himself off the ground using jets of wind. "You little flies just don't get it do you? What do train stations have?"

"He's flying!" Lucy said in awe, as she watched Erigor levitate higher into the air.

"That's wind magic!" Happy pointed out, as strong gust of wind blew all around them.

"Station?" Erza asked herself, as she watched Erigor begin to fly towards the station's loudspeakers. The re-equip mage could hear the Eisenwald mages snickering behind her.

"Time's up Fairies." Erigor said, as he knocked on the loudspeakers. Erza's eyes widened, as realization hit her.

"Are you going to broadcast Lullaby?!" Erza asked in a shocked tone.

"EH! No way!" Lucy yelled, as her mouth opened in shock.

"What!?" Gray exclaimed, goosebumps covering his skin.

"You bastard!" Natsu growled, as he felt anger begin to boil inside him.

FWHAHAHA!" Erigor burst out laughing, with a twisted smile on his face. "There are hundreds...no thousands of people gathered around the station right now. If we can broadcast it loud enough, maybe the entire will hear...the melody of death."

"THAT'S INDISCRIMINATE MASS-MURDER!" Erza roared, taking a threatening step forward.

"We are simply cleaning up those fools who live their lives, enjoying their rights." Erigor said, leaning back in the air. "None of them knowing that their are people who have had their rights taken from them. Living a life oblivious to the unfairness of the world is a sin. Thus, I the Shinigami, have come to punish them all." Erigor brought his scythe to his mouth, and ran his tongue along the blade. "A most righteous punishment called DEATH!"

"Your right will never be returned if do something something that awful!" Lucy argued, glaring at Eisenwald's Shinigami. "Plus, you're the bad guys to begin with!"

"Now that we've come this far, it's not 'right' that we seek. We seek 'authority.' If we have authority we can simply erase the past and control the future." Erigor explained, causing a growl to escape Lucy's throat.

"You're a complete fool!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing at Erigor.

"What a pity," Kageyama said as he slammed a hand onto the ground. "For you annoying little flies." A shadow shot forward at blinding speeds, slipping past both Erza and Gray. A large fist spouted out of the ground, and prepared to smash Lucy. "To die before getting a glimpse of the dark age!"

"Damn it!" Erza cursed, as she spun around with her sword drawn. _"Shit, I can't get there in time!"_

"YOU!" Natsu roared, cutting the shadows with a hand covered in flames. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO HURT LUCY!"

"You..." Kageyama growled, as he watched his shadows begin to dissipate.

_"Thank God Natsu was there." _Erza thought, as she placed a hand over her racing heart. _"I hate to think what would have happened if he wasn't here." _

"T-Thank you Natsu." Lucy stuttered out, still in shock over what just happened. _"He's always her to protect me." _

"This time we're on a real battleground, you bastard!" Natsu exclaimed, his fists coated in red hot flames. But those flames died out when he saw all the other Eisenwald mages, begin to surround Kageyama. "Shit, there are more of them then I thought."

_"You've fallen into out trap Fairies." _Erigor thought with a smirk, as he watched events unfold from above. _"We had to spice things up here and there, but now it's time to get back to our original plan. There's someone who has to hear the melody of death. Someone I must put to death!"_

"This is Fairy Tail's strongest team." Lucy said, pointing at the small army of Eisenwald mages. "Prepare yourselves!"

"I'll leave the rest to you." Erigor said with a smirk, as he turned around. "While I go play the flute." He then started to fly towards a nearby window. "Let these clueless flies feel the power of Eisenwald's darkness." With a crash Erigor flew out of the train station's window.

"Are you running away Erigor, you coward!" Erza exclaimed, glaring at the hole in the window.

"Shit! Do you think he's running to the next building?!" Gray suggested, as he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Gray! Natsu!" Erza called out, getting both mage's attention. "Both of you go after Erigor." Both Gray and Natsu looked confused, as they stared at Erza. "If you two work together there's no way you could lose to Erigor."

"But Erza I want to stay here, and kick these guy's asses. Especially since I owe that guy a proper fight." Natsu said, pointing at Kageyama.

"Natsu, Lucy and I will take care of things here." Erza said, flashing Natsu a grin.

"Take care off...all of these people, just us two girls?" Lucy asked herself, not liking their odds.

"Erigor is planning to use Lullaby on this station." Erza said, grabbing Natsu and Gray's shoulders. "We have to prevent that from happening no matter what." Erza looked at Natsu with pleading eyes. "Please Natsu, Lucy and I can handle things here. You trust me don't you?"

"*Sigh* Yeah I trust you more than anyone else I know...Anyways you're right." Natsu said, as he grabbed Gray. "Come on ice princess let's go."

"Get your hands off me flame brain!" Gray said, swatting Natsu's hand away. "You could have just asked me to follow you."

"Whatever let's just find this Erigor guy." Natsu said, as he sprinted after Erigor.

"Oi! Slow down man!" Gray yelled, running after the dragon slayer.

"Hey two of them are running off!" An Eisenwald mage exclaimed.

"They're probably going after Erigor-san!" Another Eisenwald mage pointed out.

"Leave the flies to me." Rayule said, shooting mummy like wrappings out of his fingers. Using the wrappings like a grappling hook, Rayule chased after Natsu and Gray.

"Me too! I can't forgive that pink-haired bastard!" Kageyama exclaimed, as he melted down into a shadow.

"Tch, Rayule and Kageyama are so belligerent." Byard said, leering at Erza and Lucy. "I bet it'll be more fun to play with these girls than those two guys."

"It's all for the plan. They're much more respectable than you." Karacka said, earning a glare from Byard.

"Lucy, once we take care of these fools we'll go after Natsu and Gray." Erza said, taking a few steps forward.

"Sure thing Erza." Lucy said, reaching for her keys.

"What can do girls do?" Byard said, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. "Both of them are gorgeous though."

"It's to bad we have to kill them." An Eisenwald mage said, licking his lips.

"Oh, I can't wait to see the Fairies' strip show." Another Eisenwald mage said, blood trickling out of his nose.

"How disgusting." Erza said, holding out her hand. Magical energy began to build around the knight's extended hand. "You're lucky I sent Natsu off, or he'd be mauling you all right now."

"That pink-haired freak couldn't lay a finger on us." Byard said, with a dark chuckle.

"Try insulting Natsu, or Fairy Tail further." Erza said, as a large materialized in her hand. "I won't guarantee that you all live to see tomorrow."

"She took out her sword!" Lucy gasped, as she take a fighting stance. "So that's what her magic looks like."

"Heh, you're magic is not so rare lady." An Eisenwald mage said, as sword appeared in his hand.

"We have a lot of swordmages here as well." Another Eisenwald mage said, equipping two swords into his hands. "We'll strip that armor off you, and see what you got underneath."

The Eisenwald swordmages all charged forward at once. Erza's eyes quickly scanned over each of the mages. Her trained eyes spotted each of their weapons, and picked out the best way to fight each of them. Figuring out her best strategy Erza charged the Eisenwald mages by herself.

_"Is she insane!?" _Lucy screamed in her head, as she watched Erza sprint towards the Eisenwald mages.

But what happened was not what Lucy was expecting. Lucy had heard stories of Erza's strength from magazines and from Natsu, but to see it in person was something else entirely. Erza blew through the Eisenwald swordmages without even a scratch on her armor. She blocked, parried, countered the mages often times without even looking at them. Lucy could only stare in utter disbelief as Erza tore through the Eisenwald mages, without even breaking a sweat. At the end of her rampage, over a dozen Eisenwald mages lay defeated behind Erza.

"How about ranged magic you bitch?!" An Eisenwald mage roared, magical energy gathering in his hand.

Reacting quickly, Erza backflipped and dodged the mage's attack. Mid flip Erza swapped out her sword for a large spear. Before the Eisenwald mage could even gasp in shock, Erza had taken him out with her spear. As soon as Erza landed back onto the ground, she changed out her spear for twin swords. The Eisenwald mages gathered around her weren't prepared, as Erza began to flawlessly cut through their ranks with her dual blades. Lucy was in awe at how graceful Erza appeared to be, as she ducked, weaved, and spun through Eisenwald's ranks. In her wake a trail of defeated mages. Again Erza swapped out her weapon, this time a large axe appearing in her hands. With a massive swing, Erza took out a half dozen Eisenwald mages.

"Th-This woman...How can she re-equip her weapons so fast?!" An Eisenwald mage exclaimed, fear evident in his voice.

"Erza's greatness starts here." Happy said, a grin spread across his face.

"Erza?" Karacka said, as his brows furrowed in confusion. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Come on guys, we still have plenty of men left!" An Eisenwald mage shouted, rallying the other men.

"You guys are way too much trouble." Erza said, as her entire body began to glow. Her armor began to strip off her body. "I'll just wipe you all out at once."

"Whoa! Here armor is coming off!" All the Eisenwald mages stopped to ogle Erza's body.

Happy smirked, as he watched Erza's body begin to glow brightly. When the light started to die down, most of Erza's body was masked in smoke. But what Lucy saw made her gasp. Erza's body was covered in an entirely new armor that Lucy had never seen before. The new armor seemed to be made entirely out of silver metal. The upper portion of the armor consisted of a small breastplate that was composed of feather-shaped plates that pointed upwards with a large metal flower on the front. Her biceps were covered by metal straps and her very large plated gauntlets sported feather-shaped plates at the edges. Her waist was circled by large, decorated plates reminiscent of feathers that lied on a long skirt. She wore a pair of plated boots which were partially hidden under her skirt, each boot sported metal ornaments shaped like wings. Erza was also wearing a neck guard made of feather-like plates and a tiara with prominent metal wings. The armor also sported two pairs of large metal wings which adorned Erza's back, composed of metal feathers which got longer and larger at the edges. Lastly over a dozen swords appeared in a circle behind Erza.

"**Heaven's Wheel Armor!**"

"Whoa!" Lucy said in awe of Erza's new armor.

"Erza?! She can't be..." Karacka said, as the swords behind Erza began so spin rapidly.

"Dance my swords." Erza said, as he swords formed a lager circle around her waist. "Cut them to shreds, **Circle Sword!**" The swords shot out, and cut through the Eisenwald mages that had surrounded Erza. The attack wiped out a majority of the remaining Eisenwald mages.

"You bitch!" Byard roared, as he charged Erza. "I'll be your opponent!" Without even blinking, Erza cut Byard down before he even had a chance to touch her.

"Pathetic." Erza said, as she glared at the fallen Eisenwald mages.

"S-She took out Byard in one hit! T-There's no doubt!" Karacka said, as fear filled his body. "She's the strongest w-woman in Fairy Tail! Erza the Titania!"

"Amazing!" Lucy exclaimed, as a faint blush painted her cheeks. "I could fall in love with her."

Around Erza were the bodies of all the fallen Eisenwald mages. The only one left standing was Karacka. As soon as Erza's piercing gaze landed on Karacka, he bolted out of the room.

"He might be heading after Erigor." Erza said, as she turned to face Lucy. "Lucy you go after him."

"Me!?" Lucy exclaimed, pointing at herself.

"Please! Lucy we don't have time to just stand around!" Erza yelled, causing Lucy to jump in surprise.

"Okay Erza!" Lucy said, as she ran after Karacka.

As soon as Lucy left the room, Erza released a heavy sigh and re-equiped back into her Heart Kruez armor. Sweat poured off Erza's body, as she began to pant heavily. _"Natsu was right. Driving that magical four wheeler has really affected me. I'll the leave rest to you Natsu...Lucy...Gray."_

* * *

(With Natsu and Gray)

"If we work together? Tch, no way!" Gray yelled, as he ran next to Natsu.

"You think I like this anymore than you do?!" Natsu exclaimed, as he glared at Gray. "But Erza asked us to work together, and I plan on doing what she said."

"Whatever, I can take care of Erigor myself." Gray said, as both Fairy Tail mages came to a fork at the end of the hall.

"Which way do we go?" Natsu asked, as he looked down both hallways.

"We'll have to split up." Gray said, as he placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Listen Natsu. Our opponent is an idiot who's planning to use dangerous magic to kill a lot of people." Gray held up his clenched fist. "If you find him, crush him to pieces."

"That's not all, right?" Natsu said, holding up a flaming fist. "He's the moron who picked a fight with Fairy Tail. I'll burn him black as charcoal!" Natsu and Gray both grinned at each other. But as soon as they realized they were being nice to each other, they both quickly turned their heads away.

"Don't die." Gray said under his breath.

"Did you say something, Gray?" Natsu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing! Just hurry and go!" Gray yelled, as he ran down one of the hallways. "Tch, if he manages to broadcast the death curse medley, it's gonna be a mess." Suddenly Gray came to a stop. "Wait, broadcast! That's right! If he's gonna broadcast Lullaby, Erigor must be in the public broadcasting room." Gray looked up at a sign overhead, and saw where public broadcast room was located. Sprinting down the hall, Gray found the broadcast room and kicked down the door. But when Gray entered the room, he found that it was empty. "Why is he not here? This is the only room where he could broadcast Lullaby from."

As Gray examined the room, he didn't notice a figure slowly descending from the ceiling. Rayule had a wicked grin on his face, as he prepared to attack Gray.

"It's strange that's he's not here." Gray said, as he felt a tingle shoot up his spine. "Does that mean he never planned to broadcast Lullaby?" Gary dove out of the way, as several wrappings slammed into the ground where he had been standing. He turned to see Rayule smirking at him.

"My, my you have good instincts." Rayule said, as he stepped onto the ground. "You'll be a nuisance to our plans."

"So there really is something going on?" Gray asked, as the air chilled around him. "Jeez, and you bastards were complaining about not having any work."

* * *

(Regular Meeting Site for Guild Masters)

"Makarov-chan, I like the mages in your guild." Bob, guild master of Blue Pegasus, said as he sat next to Makarov. "I heard that two of your mages beat up a very influential man from somewhere."

"Oh yeah! That was Lucy and Natsu! Lucy's our newest member!" Makarov explained, his words slurring slightly, as he took a gulp from his drink. "She's really good! Especially her tits!"

"Oh Makarov-chan you pervert!" Bob giggled, as he waved his hand dismissively.

"It's good to be lively, but you guys are overdoing it." Goldmine, guild master of Quatro Cerberus, said in an annoyed tone. "I heard that some council members are worried that you guys might destroy an entire town one day."

"I want to be smashed to smithereens by Lucy's boobs." Makarov said drunkenly, as he twirled on top of a table.

"My, you shouldn't hit on your own mages Makarov." Bob said, resting his head on his hand.

Suddenly a messenger bird flew into the room. The small bird appeared to be carrying a letter. Spotting Makarov, the bird immediately flew over to the Fairy Tail guild master.

"Makarov-sama, you have a message from Mirajane-sama." The bird said, handing Makarov the letter.

"Hm." Makarov hummed, as he opened the letter. As soon as the letter opened up, a small projection of Mirajane appeared.

"Master, thank you for attending the regular meeting." The Mirajane projection said, as she waved at Makarov.

"Look she's our calling card!" Makarov said, pointing to the letter. "Isn't she so cute!?"

"I've got some wonderful new for you master!" The projection said, causing Makarov to raise an eyebrow. "Erza returned and went on a mission with Natsu and Gray. Of course Lucy and Happy also went with them. Don't you think that's wonderful?" Sweat began to form on Makarov's brow. "I think this might very well be the strongest team in Fairy tail." Makarov was now sweating profusely, as he started to feel faint. "Well, I thought I'd inform you of this so I wrote you a letter. See you later!"

As soon as the projection of Mirajane disappeared, Makarov feel of the table. The Fairy Tail was twitching slightly. His face was twisted in horror, as sweat poured of his body.

_"Oh my God they might actually destroy a town!" _Makarov thought, as his left he twitched. _"The regular meeting ends today, and I can be back tomorrow...So please don't cause any messes until then!"_

* * *

(Back at Oshibana Station)

A large crowd was still gathered around the train station. People were discussing what could possibly going on inside the train station.

"What's going on inside?"

"Military personal went in, but they haven't come out yet."

"Have they all been defeated by the terrorists?"

"The wind is really strong today."

But all the talking stopped when a lone figure began to walk out of the station. A scarlet haired woman clad in armor descended the stairs to the station. Every watched with baited breaths, as the woman approached a police officer.

"H-Hey! You're the woman who barged in earlier! What the hell is going on in there?!" The officer asked, but instead of asking Erza grabbed the megaphone from the man's hands.

"If you people value you your lives, leave immediately! The station is occupied by dark mages!" Erza yelled into the megaphone, causing the crowd to let out a collective gasp. "One of them is ready to cast a spell that will kill everyone around here! Evacuate as far away as possible!"

The crowd stood in shock for a moment, before everyone turned and bolted away from the train station. Each of them was tying to get as far away as possible.

"Hey, why are you making people panic?" The officer asked, as Erza dropped the megaphone.

"It's better than seeing them all die." Erza replied, turning to face the police officer. "What I said is true. My friends and I are doing everything possible to prevent that from happening, but we cannot guarantee your safety. So it's best for you to evacuate too."

"Gah!" The officer shrieked, before he ran out of the station.

_"Lullaby...a forbidden magic that kills anyone who hears its melody...Erigor is planning to commit mass-murder using that." _Erza thought, as her eyes narrowed. _"But now there is almost no one here. It'll be meaningless to use Lullaby now. Well...what will he do now?"_

Erza was cut from her thoughts when a huge gust of wind blew past her. Erza had to shield her face, as the wind continued to pick up speed. After a few moments, Erza couldn't believe what she was seeing. A massive wall of powerful wind had formed around the train station.

"H-How can this be?" Erza asked in disbelief, as she stared at the massive wall of wind that towered over the train station. It looked as if the station was surrounded by a massive tornado. "The station is surrounded by wind!"

"Mmmm, what's a flying doing outside." Erigor asked, as he descended on Erza. "Ah, you're the one who sent all the bystanders away. Hello _Titania_."

"Erigor!" Erza yelled, as she spun around to face Eisenwald's Shinigami. "Did you do this?" Erza gestured to the wall of wind behind her.

"I just wanted to fight you one time." Erigor said with a smirk, but then he sighed. "But unfortunately I don't have time for that right now. Just stay inside and be a good girl." Erigor then blasted Erza back with a powerful burst of wind. The force of the blast sent Erza flying through the wall of wind, and back into the train station. Coming to a skidding stop, Erza slowly rose back to her feet.

"Erigor!" Erza exclaimed, as she tried to push her hand through the wind. But Erza howled in pain when the wind cut up her unarmored hand. Erza clutched her bloody and bruised hand, as she glared up at Erigor through the wind.

"Don't bother this magic wall goes one way, from outside to inside." Erigor said with a cackle, from outside the wind wall. "If you flies try to escape you'll cut to shreds."

"What the hell are you doing?!" Erza yelled, anger evident in her tone.

"Haha, it's a birdcage...or rather a flycage." Erigor said, as he began to fly off. "I've waisted too much time already. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Where are you going!? Erigor!" Erza screamed, as she clenched her bloody fist. "We're not done talking you bastard!" Erza clenched her teeth, as she hung her head. "What's...going on? This station isn't their target after all?!

* * *

(Back with Gray and Rayule)

"I'll kill anyone who interferes with our plans." Rayule said, flashing Gray and evil smirk.

"Plan or whatever this is the only place you can broadcast Lullaby from." Gray said, as he gestured around the room. "If Erigor, who has Lullaby, isn't here, why did you guys occupy the station?"

Rayule merely chuckled, as he swung his wrappings like a whip. Gray quickly ducked underneath the wrapping, but he was shocked when he saw Rayule hit the broadcasting equipment.

_"He destroyed the broadcasting equipment without even hesitating. So they don't plan on broadcasting Lullaby after all." _Gray thought, as he glared at Rayule.

Again Rayule shot his wrappings at Gray. But this time Gray created a wall of ice in front of him, blocking the wrappings before they could get him. Rayule chuckled, as he wrappings returned to his hand.

"So you're an ice mage." Rayule said with a smirk. "This'll be fun."

"What is your real plan?" Gray asked, as his wall of ice disappeared.

"About now Erigor-san's magic wall of wind should be finished." Rayule said, causing Gray's eyes to widen.

"Magic wall of wind?" Gray parroted in a confused tone.

"It's a wind barrier to keep you flies from leaving this place." Rayule explained with an evil grin.

"What?!" Gray exclaimed, as his eyes widened in shock. Suddenly Gray growled, as he shot forward and kneed Rayule sending him flying through a wall. "I fucking hate complicated stories, so just tell me what the hell is going on!"

"We trapped you flies in here, because you were an unexpected hitch in out plans." Rayule said, wiping blood from his mouth. "Originally we occupied this station to block off all transportation access to Clover Station, the last stop." A smirk spread across Rayule's face. "That town is across a huge ravine, and there's no transportation other than this train. Unless you can fly like Erigor-san."

"So that's where Lullaby is heading?!" Gray exclaimed, as Rayule began to stand back up.

"Just think about what's currently going on in Clover City!" Rayule said, as she shot a barrage of bindings at Gray. Too shocked to move, Gray was hit in the shoulders. Rayule grinned, as he watched blood coat Gray's shoulders.

"N-No way!" Gray exclaimed, as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. "It can't be! Clover City is the town where those old geezers are having their regular meeting! Your real target is the guild masters!"

"HAHA! So you finally figured it out little fly!" Rayule laughed, as Gray's eyes darkened.

"You're doing something really crazy against geezers with powerful magic." Gray said, as he released a shaky breath.

"Playing the flute for geezers who are unaware should be easy." Rayule said, as he shrugged his shoulders. "Erigor-san can do it just fine on his own. Besides people like you guys who interfere can't leave the station. That means there's no way you can stop us now." An evil smile spread across Rayule's face, his eyes wild. The Eisenwald mage never noticed the air freezing around Gray's hands. "We're taking revenge for the oppression we had to endure in the past! Everything will disappear into thin air!"

Before Rayule could continue, Gray grabbed ahold of his face. In an instant Rayule's head was encased in a block of ice. Gray glared at the Eisenwald mage, his eyes filled with anger.

"We'll stop you assholes, and make you regret targeting out _parents_." Gray said, as he pushed Rayule over. He stood over the Eisenwald mage with eyes full of fury. "I'll teach that there are guilds even more frightening than dark guilds."

* * *

(Back with Erza)

The scarlet haired knight had made her way back inside the trains station. She was walking amongst the fallen Eisenwald mages when she noticed one was still conscious. She growled in anger, and grabbed the man by his collar.

"Erigor's magical wind wall, how do I get rid of it!?" Erza yelled in the Byard's face.

"I don't know! I-It's impossible!" Byard said, as he cowered away from Erza. "There's now way for us to nullify the wind wall." Erza snarled before she punched Byard in the face, causing him to roar in pain.

"Erza!" Gray exclaimed from the floor above Erza.

"Gray?!" Erza yelled in surprise, before her eyes widened. The knight began to panic when she didn't see the dragon slayer with Gray. "Where's Natsu?! I thought he was with you!"

_"Natsu please be okay." _Erza thought, as she clutched a hand over her heart.

"There was a fork in the station, and we split up. I haven't seen him since then." Gray said, as he saw a look of worry flash across Erza's face. "But we have bigger problems on our hands!" This got Erza's attention, as she looked back up a Gray. "Eisenwald's true target is the town ahead! It's the town where all the geezers are having their regular meeting! Erigor is planning to use Lullaby there!"

"Yeah, I got the general idea from Erigor, but this station is surrounded by a magic wall of wind." Erza said, as she released a deep sigh.

"I just saw it!" Gray said, as he hoped down to Erza's level. "If we try to force our way through it, we'll be turned to minced meat!"

"Erigor is getting closer to master, and we're wasting time here." Erza said, rubbing her wounded arm."

"One of these guys should know how to nullify this wind." Gray said, as he kicked an Eisenwald mage.

"Stop it...they don't know how to dispel the wind wall." As soon as the words left Erza's mouth, she let out a small gasp.

"What is it?" Gray asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I just remembered someone named Kageyama in their Eisenwald! He's the one who broke the seal on Lullaby by himself!" Erza exclaimed, causing Gray's eyes to widen.

"If he's a dispeller, he might be able to get rid of this wind!" Gray yelled, as both Fairy Tail mages took off down the hall.

"Let's look for him! We have to capture Kageyama!"

"Tch, Ka-Karacka..." Byard stuttered out, as he looked at the wall besides him. "Are you just gonna hide forever? You're there aren't you?"

"S-Sorry." Karacka said, as he materialized from the wall next to Byard. He slowly approached Byard, rubbing the back of his head.

"You heard what those Fairy bastards said, right?" Byard said, earning a nod from Karacka. "Kageyama's being targeted by them. Go to him."

"Why me!? I won't be able to help him!" Karacka said, as he began to panic.

"Oh, your job will be much easier than that." Byard said with an evil look in his eyes.

* * *

(On the Other Side of the Station)

Lucy and Happy slowly walked through the abandoned train station in search of Karacka. But so far they hadn't found a single sign of the missing Eisenwald mage. Lucy sighed, as the pair turned another corner.

"We totally lost him." Lucy said in a dejected tone. "Maybe we should just go back and regroup with Erza." Hearing this caused Happy to look at Lucy in shock. "W-What?"

"Erza told us to go after that Eisenwald guy." Happy said, as he began to shake. "I see...Lucy is truly incredible...she's gonna ignore Erza's request. I wouldn't want to see Erza doing this and that to you Lucy."

"What is she gonna do to me?!" Lucy asked, as she began to panic.

"You don't want to know." Happy said, causing Lucy to squeak in fear.

"Okay! I'll keep looking for him! We'll search until we find him!" Lucy said, as she continued her search.

"You change your mind pretty quickly Lucy." Happy said, as he followed closely behind the blonde.

"Why are you even following me, you dumb cat?!" Lucy yelled, as she glared at Happy.

As Lucy and Happy continued to search for Karacka, Natsu was still searching for Erigor. Coming to another room, Natsu raised a flaming foot and smashed through the wall next to the door.

"ERIGOR!" Natsu roared, as he stormed into the room. "Where are you hiding, you bastard!?" Swiveling his head from side to side, Natsu didn't spot Erigor. The dragon slayer hoped out of the whole he had created, and moved to the next room. "Alright next one!" Again Natsu crashed through the wall in an explosion of flames. Spotting nothing once again, Natsu moved to the next room.

_"Does he know how to use doors?"_ Kageyama thought, as he watched from the ceiling. The Eisenwald mage was still in his shadow form. _"He's insane."_

"Next!" Natsu yelled, as he crashed through yet another wall.

_"But Erigor-san isn't even in the station anymore, so he's just wasting his time." _Kageyama thought, as he began to descend from the ceiling. _"I could just leave him alone. Then..." _Kageyama swung from the ceiling, and kicked Natsu in the back of the head. The dragon slayer sent flying across the room into a stack of boxes. "I won't have a peace of mind!"

"You again?!" Natsu roared, as he spun to face Kageyama. He glared at the shadow user, his eyes full of fury.

"I got the basic idea of what your magic is." Kageyama said with a smirk. "You increase your destructive power by coating a part of your body in flames or lightning. Pretty unusual magic, especially since you can use two different types."

"RAH! I really want to kick the shit out of you for trying to hurt Lucy! But I don't have time to deal with you!" Natsu yelled, as his body became surrounded by flames. "Where's Erigor?!"

"I wish I could tell you that little fly." Kageyama said, as his shadow shot forward. "Maybe if you defeat me, I'll tell you."

"Oh, you're gonna tell me after I kick the shit out of you?" Natsu asked, as he dodged Kageyama's shadow attack. A grin spread across Natsu's face when he looked at Kageyama. "Talk about killing two birds with one stone!"

"Tch, he's fast." Kageyama said, as he slammed his hands onto the ground. "But there's no way you'll be able to dodge my **Shadow Snakes**!" Several snakes made out of shadows shot towards Natsu, and began to chase after him. Ever time Natsu dodged, the **Shadow Snakes** would turn and chase after him. "They'll chase you to the end of the world!"

"Fine!" Natsu exclaimed, as he coated his fist in red hot flames. "No more evading then!"

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

"**Lightning Dragon's Claw****!**"

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**"

"**Lightning Dragon's Wing Attack!**"

One after another Natsu destroyed the **Shadow Snakes **that were coming after him. Each attack switching from fire to lightning in the blink of an eye. Kageyama watched stunned that Natsu was single handedly destroying all of his shadows.

"Last one!" Natsu yelled, as he inhaled deeply. Electricity cracked around the dragon slayer's mouth, as his cheeks started to bulge. "**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**" A streak of bright lightning shot from Natsu's mouth, and destroyed the last **Shadow Snake**.

"N-No way! He destroyed all of them!" Kageyama exclaimed in complete and utter disbelief. The Eisenwald mage's eyes widened, as Natsu stalked towards him. The dragon slayer had a grin on his face, as he coated his fist in flames. _"This can't be happening!"_

"This is for trying to hurt Lucy! **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu punched Kageyama in the face with a flaming fist, sending the Eisenwald mage flying across the room.

_"What's with this punch?!" _Kageyama thought, as he flew through the air. _"It's not the punch of a mage!" _

But Natsu wasn't finished with Kageyama yet. He dove after the shadow user, and grabbed him as soon he touched the ground. Using his momentum Natsu flipped over, and hurled Kageyama threw a nearby wall. Natsu inhaled deeply again, as embers formed around his mouth.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**"

_"H-He's a d-demon!" _Kageyama thought, as he watched the stream of flames fly towards him. The flames hit Kageyama, causing an explosion to ring throughout the station.

"What was that?!" Happy asked, as he spun towards the sound of the explosion.

"That sounds like Natsu!" Lucy said, as she ran towards the explosion. "C'mon Happy!"

"Aye sir!" Happy said, flying after Lucy.

"That's gotta be Natsu!" Erza exclaimed, as a wave of relief washed over her. "It's just up ahead."

"Looks like flame brain is causing trouble again." Gray said, as they rounded a corner.

Kageyama lay in a barely conscious heap against a wall. His eye twitched, as smoke drifted off his charred clothing. Natsu smirked as smoked billowed out of the corners of his mouth.

"HAHA! I won, ya bastard!" Natsu laughed, as he pointed at Kageyama. "As you promised, tell me where Erigor is!"

"*Cough* Ha, what an i-idiot." Kageyama said, as a smirk spread across his battered and bruised face. "Erigor-san isn't even in the station anymore."

"Huh?!" Natsu yelled in anger, as he grabbed Kageyama by his collar.

"Stop Natsu! We need him!" Erza yelled, as Gray and her ran up to the dragon slayer.

"Erza? Gray? What's going on?" Natsu asked, as he turned to face his friends.

"Good job, you pink-haired bastard!" Gray said with a grin.

"Thank God you're alright Natsu." Erza said, as she walked up to the dragon slayer. "And good job dealing with Kageyama."

"What's with you two." Natsu said with a confused look. "It was nothing."

"We have no time to explain, but we're looking for him." Gray said, as he rushed past Natsu.

"Leave it to me." Erza said, as she kneeled next to Kageyama. Suddenly a sword appeared in Erza's hand, and she pressed it against Kageyama's throat. "I want you to nullify the magical wall of wind at once." Erza pressed the blade harder against Kageyama's throat. The blade just barely broke the skin, causing Kageyama to hiss in pain. Kageyama flinched when he saw the seriousness in Erza's eyes. "You'll get a new cut overtime you say no, understood?" Erza's tone was deadly serious, causing Kageyama's eyes to widen.

"Hey Erza...he's all worn out." Natsu said in a surprised tone. "That's a little cruel don't you think?"

"Natsu just shut up!" Gray hissed.

"U-Un-der-stoGAH!" Kageyama suddenly yelled in pain, as blood started to pour from his mouth. "-od." Erza watched wide-eyed, as she watched Kageyama slump forward. She gasped when she saw a small dagger in Kageyama's back.

"Kageyama!" Erza exclaimed, as she grabbed Kageyama before he could hit the ground. "Kageyama speak to me! Please, we need your nullifying mage! Please don't die!"

"Shit he's our last hope!" Gray said, as he ran towards Erza. "Shit! Kageyama hang in there! Hey! We need your help man!" Kageyama was barely breathing in Erza's arms, and his eyes were closed. "For real!? Shit!"

"Kageyama pull yourself together!" Erza said, as she began to panic.

"Erza...it's no use. He's unconscious." Gray pointed out, as he kneeled next to Erza.

"I can't let him die! He has to nullify the wind wall!" Erza exclaimed, as she looked at the wound on Kageyama's back.

"You can say that, but he can't use magic in his condition!" Gray yelled, as he gestured to Kageyama's battered condition.

"He has to do it!" Erza yelled, as she began to sweat.

While this was going on, Natsu spotted a man jutting out of the wall behind Kageyama. The man's arm was extended, and he had a shocked look on his face. The man began to sputter incoherently, as he started to sink back into the wall. A sudden rage filled, as his eyes widened in raw fury.

"Aren't you nakama from the same guild!" Natsu roared, as he shot forward. Lightning sparked off the dragonslayer's fist. Natsu's fist crashed through the wall, and grabbed the fleeing Karacka by his throat. He slammed the man to the ground, as a vein bulged on his head. Natsu's breathing was ragged, as he glared at the man below him. "YOU BASTARD! IS THAT HOW YOUR FUCKING GUILD WORKS?!"

This is the scene Lucy and Happy stumbled upon, when they finally caught up with everyone. Lucy was shocked when she saw Gray and Erza trying to help and injured Eisenwald mage. While Natsu stood over another Eisenwald mage, a look of pure rage on his face.

"Uh, d-did we come at a bad time?" Lucy stuttered out, as everyone turned to look at her.

"Aye, I think we did." Happy said with a gulp.

* * *

(Track Leading to Clover Town)

"Clover town, where the guild masters have gathered...it's getting close." Erigor said, as he walked down the train tracks leading to Clover town. "Since I've regained most of the magical power I used to create the wind wall, I should speed things up." Wind gathered around Erigor's legs, as he shot into the air. Using his recharged magical energy, Erigor sped towards Clover town. "Those geezers took away our jobs and rights...just wait and see. I'll kill you all with Lullaby's melody! It's time for the Shinigami to purge their retched souls!"

* * *

(Back at Oshibana Station)

"Erigor's real target is the regular meeting!" Lucy gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

"Yeah...but we won't be able to get outta here unless do something about this magic wind wall." Gray said with a sigh, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"RAAAH!" Natsu roared, as he tried to run through the wind wall. But the second he touched the powerful wind, he was sent tumbling backwards.

"Kageyama, please help us out." Erza said, trying to coax the unconscious man. With Lucy's help, the Fairy Tail mages had managed to heal most of Kageyama's injuries. He would live, but he was still severely battered.

"I'll just break through!" Natsu yelled, as he punched the wall with a flaming fist. Like before he was sent tumbling back as soon as fist touched the wind.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed with a worried look on her face, as she rushed over to the dragon slayer.

"Idiot...you can't break through with brute strength." Gray said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not done yet!" Natsu exclaimed, as he shot to his feet. The dragon slayer took a deep breath, causing electricity to spark to life around his mouth.

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" The stream of lightning struck the wall of wind, and the two elements battled for a few moments. But everyone was shocked to see the beam of cut through the wind wall, and create a large opening.

"It cut through!" Erza said in a shocked tone. But before the Fairy Tail mages could make a move, the hole in the wind wall closed up. "Shit it doesn't stay open long enough!"

"I could keep a continuous stream going, so you guys can get out." Natsu suggested, causing Erza to shake her head. "RAH!" Natsu roared again, as he tried to brute force through the wall once again. He started to push through, but his face and were getting cut up.

"H-Hey! Stop it Natsu! You'll get cut to pieces!" Lucy exclaimed, as she ran up to Natsu. But Natsu ignored Lucy, and continued to push through the fierce wind. "I SAID STOP IT!" Lucy grabbed Natsu, and pulled him back into the station. Natsu turned to glare at the person who had pulled him back, but his eyes softened when he saw Lucy's worried look. "I told you stop it you idiot! Are you trying to hurt yourself?!"

"S-Sorry Luce," Natsu said as he avoided Lucy's gaze. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

"It's alright Natsu." Lucy said, as she smiled at Natsu. "Just please be careful."

"Natsu, Lucy's right. If you keep a continuous stream of lightning you'll be trapped here after we get out, and it will drain you of your magical energy." Erza said, as she walked up to Natsu and placed her hand on his shoulder. "And we're gonna need your help to fight Erigor, so save your strength." Natsu sighed, before he nodded in agreement.

"We've got to hurry! Gray, can't you freeze this thing?" Lucy asked, pointing to the wind wall behind her.

"I would have done that a long time ago if I could." Gray said with a huff.

"Shit! What are we gonna do?!" Erza yelled, slamming her fist into the wall beside her.

Natsu's eyes suddenly widened, as he stared a Lucy.

"What!?" Lucy asked, as Natsu spun around and grabbed onto her shoulders.

"I know! We can use your celestial spirits!" Natsu yelled, causing Lucy to raise an eyebrow. "I was able to travel through the celestial spirit world in Everlue's mansion!"

"But...humans usually would die when they enter it...cause they can't breath there." Lucy explained, earning a frown from Natsu. "And the gate only opens where the stellar spirit mage is standing. Meaning if you want to get out of here through the celestial spirit world, we'd have to have at least one celestial spirit mage outside of the station."

"There's really no way you can do it!" Natsu whined, as he tried to plead with Lucy. "Can't you at least give it a try!"

"I said it's impossible!" Lucy huffed, as she stomped her foot. "Besides it's a serious breach of contract when a human enters the celestial spirit world! It was okay the other time, because it was Everlue's key."

"Sorry Luce, I didn't know it was such a big deal." Natsu said, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well it is." Lucy said, as she crossed her arms. "Celestial spirit mages take contracts very seriously, you already know that."

"Everlue's key." Happy said to himself, before sudden realization hit him. "Lucy! I just remembered!"

"What?" Lucy asked, turning to face the blue cat.

"The thing I was going to tell you when we were in the magical four wheeler!" Happy said, as he reached into his green pack. After rifling through the pack for a moment, Lucy was shock to see Happy pull out a golden zodiac key. "This!"

"That's Virgo's key!?" Lucy exclaimed in shock, as she pinched Happy's nose. "You shouldn't be taking someone else's key without their permission!"

"No, Virgo herself wanted you to have it." Happy said, as he pushed Lucy's hand away.

"What?!" Lucy shouted, as she snatched the key.

"What are you two talking about?" Erza asked, as she walked up to Natsu, Lucy, and Happy.

"Don't waste our time talking about nonsense." Gray said in an annoyed tone.

"Virgo..." Natsu said, tapping his chin as he thought. "AH! You mean the gorilla maid!"

"She said since Everlue was arrested their contract was broken." Happy explained to Lucy. "So she wanted a contract with you instead. She came to Natsu and I's house."

"I'm flattered by the offer, but it's not the time for that. We have to think of a way to get out of here!" Lucy said with a huff.

"But-" Happy was cut off when Lucy grabbed his cheek.

"Shush! Just be quiet and let us think!" Lucy said, putting Happy back down.

"Wait! Lucy Happy's onto something!" Natsu exclaimed, surprising the celestial spirit mage. "Virgo can dive underground, and dig holes! She can get us under the magical wind wall!"

"Is that true?!" Gray said, his eyes wide.

"I see! Good job Happy!" Lucy said, as she hugged Happy. "Why didn't you mention that earlier?!"

"Cause you kept pinching me." Happy replied with a deadpanned look.

"I am the one who connects the road to the celestial spirit world." Lucy chanted, as she raised the golden key. "Thou...shalt head to the calling and pass through the gate. **Open! Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!**" A blinding light filled the room, as a magical circle formed underneath Lucy. A moment later, a beautiful pink-haired girl burst out of the ground in front of Lucy. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy stared at Virgo in shock. She looked nothing like the behemoth they had met in Everlue's mansion. "EH?!"

"How may I help you, mistress?" Virgo asked, bowing to Lucy.

"Huh, you lost a lot of weight." Natsu said, as he looked Virgo up and down.

"Sorry for causing you trouble last time." Virgo said with a smile.

"Lost weight...she's like a completely different person!" Lucy exclaimed, as she pointed at Virgo. "Y-Your appearance is so different."

"I'm a loyal celestial spirit. I can work in whatever appearance you'd like." Virgo explained.

"You looked a lot scarier, and more intimidating before." Natsu said, as he rubbed his chin.

"Then I can change back if that please you." Virgo said, as she changed back to her previous form.

"God no!" Lucy yelled, as she waved her hands frantically. "Go back to your other form."

"As you wish, mistress." Virgo said, as she changed back.

"Huh, she's pretty cute." Gray said with grin, before Erza grabbed his ear.

"Keep it in you pants." Erza said, causing a chill to run up Gray's spine. The re-equip mage's gaze then landed on Lucy, and she smiled at celestial spirit mage. "Lucy...I guess Natsu was right about you. She really is a great mage."

"Virgo we don't have time to make a contract now! Can we please do it later?!" Lucy pleaded with a the spirit.

"As you wish, mistress." Virgo replied with a bow.

"Please stop calling me, mistress." Lucy said, as she rubbed her arm. "It brings back some bad memories, and makes me feel weird."

"How about, your highness?" Virgo suggested quirking her head.

"That's even worse!"

"How about, princess." Virgo said, causing a light blush to spread across Lucy's face.

"Well I do like that." Lucy said, she put a hand to her cheek.

"Hurry up you two!" Gray yelled, starting to get rather frustrated just standing around.

"Okay! Here I go!" Virgo yelled, as she began to tunnel into the ground.

"Wow! She dove right in!" Gray exclaimed in astonishment.

"Great job Lucy!" Erza said, as she hugged Lucy against her armored chest. Lucy grunted in pain, but she allowed Erza to continue.

"Alright! Let's get through this hole!" Gray said, as he prepared to jump through the hole Virgo created.

"Nice job Luce!" Natsu said, as he hoisted Kageyama onto his shoulders.

"Natsu, what are you doing?!" Gray asked, as Natsu walked towards the hole.

"I won't feel right if he dies after fighting me." Natsu said, as he jumped into the hole. Erza and Lucy couldn't help but smile at the kindness Natsu had shown. Kageyama, who was starting to regain consciousness, couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Eventually everyone had made their way through the hole Virgo had created. Natsu and Kageyama were the first out, and Natsu let out a loud laugh as he crawled out of the hole.

"WE MADE IT! YEAH!" Natsu screamed, as he got onto the street outside the wind wall.

"Hurry!" Erza yelled, as she helped pull Lucy out of the hole.

"Holy shit! This wind is fucking insane!" Lucy yelled, as she shielded her face.

"Princess! Your underwear is almost showing!" Virgo exclaimed, as she pulled Lucy's flowing skirt back down.

"Then you should hide yours too!" Lucy yelled, as she watched Virgo's own skirt blow in the wind.

Gray watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. But he nearly jumped out his skin when he felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly. The ice mage turned his head to see Natsu glaring at him.

"If I were you, I'd turn my eyes away **_now_**!" Natsu warned, causing Gray to turn his head the other direction.

"T-There's no way...you'll catch up to Erigor-san now..." Kageyama said from where he laid on the ground.

"Wait! Where did Natsu go?!" Erza yelled in a panic, as she lost sight of the dragon slayer. "Did we lose him again."

"Happy isn't here either!" Lucy pointed out, as both her and Erza's eyes widened.

* * *

(Tracks Leading to Clover Town)

Erigor was approaching Clover town. He could see the town off in the distance. But Erigor's eyes widened when he felt a presence rapidly approaching behind him. He turned his head to see what appeared to be a person flying towards him.

"THIS IS..." The approaching figure yelled. "HAPPY'S..." Erigor gasped when he received a flaming kick to the face. "MAX SPEED!" Natsu grinned, as he watched Erigor crash into the tracks below.

"I can't...fly...anymore..." Happy said, as he fell into Natsu's arms.

"Thanks buddy! Now we caught up with the bastard!" Natsu said, giving Happy a toothy grin.

"Y-You!" Erigor said, as he stood up and glared at Natsu. "Why are you here?!"

"To kick your skinny ass, you gentle breeze bastard!" Natsu said with a smirk, as lightning sparked off his hands. "I know your weakness now!

* * *

**Aand done! Damn another long ass chapter! Well next chapter will have Natsu vs. Erigor(Don't worry it won't play out like in cannon) and Fairy Tail vs. Lullaby. So look forward to next chapter. I plan to the next chapter out before I write anything else, so it should be out pretty soon. So what did you guys think? Remember to follow/favorite(Let's try to hit 500), PLEASE REVIEW(Let's finally break 200), and PM me any ideas you have for this fic. So until next time I'm outta here!**


	9. Chapter 9 Fairy Tail's Strongest Team

**I said I would get this chapter out quick, and so here it is. Thank you guys for the reviews last chapter, but let's see if we can get even more for this one. I want to reiterate to some of the new readers(Because I've already gotten a few messages) I will be not adding, replacing, or taking out any more girls to Natsu's harem. The _'FINAL' _harem will be as follows: Lucy, Erza, Mirajane, Wendy, Flare, and Juvia. I will not replace any of those girls, nor will I add anymore. So please stop asking, because your requests will fall upon deaf ears. This chapter will conclude the Lullaby arc, then we can move onto *Sigh* the Galuna Island arc. With that out of the way, let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. All rights belong to Hiro Mashima**

* * *

(Tracks Leading to Clover Town)

"Son of a bitch!" Erza roared, as she slammed her fist onto the armrest of the magical four wheeler she had commandeered. "I can't believe we lost Natsu again!...I can't believe _I_ lost Natsu again." Erza said the last part in a sad tone, as she looked down at her lap. The scarlet-haired knight clenched her fists in fit of self-loathing. _"That's __the second time in one day that I've lost track of Natsu. Damn it Natsu! Why'd you have to run off on your own! I should be out there helping you!"_

"This...isn't the magical four wheeler we rented." Lucy observed, as she leaned out the four wheeler's open cabin. _"Natsu don't do anything stupid. Please just hang on, we'll be there to help you in no time." _

"I'll give credit where it's due, Eisenwald sure took plenty of precautions." Gray said, glancing at Kageyama. The shadow user was seated right next to Gray. "They even destroyed our vehicle."

"*Sigh* I guess we'll have to pay for that when we get back." Lucy said, resting her head on top of her arms.

"Tch, and you stole another vehicle. How irresponsible." Kageyama said, earning a glare from Lucy.

"We're just borrowing it!" Lucy exclaimed, as she leaned back into the four wheeler. "Besides we wouldn't even have needed to borrow this one if you guys didn't blow up our old one!"

"Why did you even bring me along?" Kageyama asked dejectedly, as he looked down at his lap.

"What Natsu said was true." Lucy said, her eyes softening. "We wouldn't feel right leaving you in that abandoned town. We're gonna take you to a hospital in Clover Town. So you'd better be thankful!"

"NO!...I mean, why did you save me?! We're enemies!" Kageyama said, before a smirk spread across his face. "Oh, I got it now...You're taking me hostage so that you can negotiate with Erigor-san. Sorry, but that'd be a waste of time. Erigor-san is coldblooded. There's no way he'll make a deal with you flies."

"Ugh, is it so hard to believe that we actually want to help you?" Lucy asked herself, as she ran her hand down her face.

"You know, I can kill you right now if you want to die so badly." Gray said, as a dagger made out of ice formed in his hand. Kageyama squeaked in surprise when Gray pressed the cold blade against his throat. "Life and death aren't the only possible outcomes of a conflict, right?" Gray took the dagger away from Kageyama's throat and made it disappear. "You should all value your lives more, and you should do something positive with your lives."

Kageyama looked at the Fairy Tail mages surrounding him with a surprised look. He couldn't believe that these mages, his enemies, were treating him so well after he had just tried to kill them. _"Maybe they aren't flies after all." _ However Kageyama was shaken from his thoughts when the magical four wheeler suddenly swerved to the right. The sudden movement caused everyone in the back to fly around the cabin.

"ERZA!" Gray yelled, as he checked on his nakama. What Gray saw made him panic. Erza was hunched forward with sweat dripping off her brow, as she breathed heavily.

_"My vision is getting blurry." _Erza thought, as the scenery around her began to distort. _"I consumed to much magical power." _Erza shook her head violently to wake herself back up. She grit her teeth, and continued to pump magical energy into the S.E. plug. The magical four wheeler continued to race down the tracks. _"Natsu please stop Erigor! I'm counting on you to hold him off until we can get there to help you! If we can't stop him...all of the guild masters in this area will die! So just hold on, and stay safe!"_

* * *

(With Natsu and Erigor)

"Y-You?!" Erigor said, as he stood up and glared at Natsu. "Why are you here?!"

"To kick you skinny ass, you gentle breeze bastard!" Natsu said with a smirk, as lightning sparked off his fists. "I know your weakness now!"

"Weakness?" Erigor parroted with a smirk on his face, as he wiped some blood from his lip. "I have no weakness you insolent little fly!"

"Care to test that theory?! Come on you scrawny bitch!" Natsu exclaimed, holding up a sparking fist. "I'll fry you with my lightning, then I'll burn that damn flute into a pile of ash!"

_"What happened to the wind wall...along with Kageyama and the rest!?" _Erigor thought, as he clenched his teeth. _"I was just about to arrive where those geezers are, too!" _Erigor began to make several rapid motions with his arm. _"These really are some bothersome flies."_

"Die." Erigor said, as several blades of wind shot towards Natsu. But Erigor was shocked to see a smirk spread across Natsu's face. As the blades of wind neared, Natsu raised his lightning covered fists.

"**Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

Natsu began to punch the blades of wind. His lightning covered fists cut right through the wind, but like with the wind wall the blades of wind reformed shortly after Natsu struck them. The blades of wind all flew past Natsu, and struck a rock pillar behind the dragon slayer. Erigor couldn't believe his eyes, as he stared at the unscathed dragon slayer.

"Wh-What!? H-How is that possible!?" Erigor exclaimed, as he took a fearful step backwards.

"I figured it out back at Oshibana Station." Natsu said, cracking his electrified knuckles. "I shot some lightning at your wind wall, and it managed to cut through it briefly. So I figured it would work with the rest of work magic, and I guess I was right! I can negate your wind magic, so you can't touch me!"

_"This idiot didn't even know if his strategy would work!?" _Erigor thought, as he began to sweat. _"This kid is insane!" _

"Aren't you cold when you're naked like that?" Natsu said, causing Erigor to raise an eyebrow. "Then let's heat things up!" Surrounding his feet in flames, Natsu shot forward like a rocket. Natsu's head became engulfed in flames, as he approached Erigor. "**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**"

_"Holy shit he's fast!" _Erigor thought, as Natsu's flame powered headbutt knocked the wind out of him. Before Erigor could even react Natsu was on top of him again.

"**Fire Dragon's Claw!**"

Natsu smashed his flaming foot on top of Erigor's head. Erigor's face smashed into the ground with an audible crunch. Natsu prepared for another attack, but Erigor rolled out of the way and propelled himself into the air. Eisenwald's Shinigami floated above Natsu, out of breath and heavily bruised.

"I'll admit you're pretty good for a fly." Erigor said, spitting some blood from his mouth. "But don't get to carried away!" Erigor began to weave through several hand signs again, causing a smirk to spread across Natsu's face. "Let's see how you like this! **Storm Bringer!**" A massive funnel of powerful wind raced towards Natsu. But the dragon slayer stood his ground, unafraid of the rapidly approaching wind.

"You don't learn do you?" Natsu said, as he inhaled deeply. Electricity sparked to life in the air around the dragon slayer, as his cheeks bulged. "**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**"

Both attacks clashed, and a battle for dominance ensued. But after a few moments, Natsu's lightning began to push back Erigor's wind. The Eisenwald mage watched in awe, as his wind was destroyed by the beam of lightning. Before the lightning could get too close, Erigor canceled his attack and moved out of the lightning's path. Starting to panic, Erigor shot towards Natsu with his scythe drawn.

"Take this!" Erigor roared, as he swung his massive blade. But to Erigor's complete and utter shock, Natsu blocked the blade with his left arm. The dragon slayer winced in pain, as the bottom of the scythe's blade started to cut into his arm. _"What kind of monster is this kid?! He's not human!" _Again Natsu inhaled, but this time fire began to form around the dragon slayer. _"Shit! It's fire this time!"_

"**Fire Dragon's Roar!**"

A stream of searing fire erupted from Natsu's mouth. Erigor managed to fly out the way in nick of time, the intense flames singeing the bottom of his clothes. Using this time escape, Erigor flew up above the dragon slayer.

"Ha! You're a sneaky one!" Natsu said, as wiped away the excess flames from his mouth. Blood was slowly trailing down Natsu's left arm, but he didn't seem to notice. "Why don't you come back down here you pussy!"

_"What's with this guy? Everything he does is so random...all his attacks are __unpredictable." _Erigor thought, panting slightly. _"Is this the power of a Fairy Tail mage?"_

"It seems that I have underestimated your abilities." Erigor said, as the wind started to pick up around him. "Let's fight seriously now. Just you and me."

"I don't think you fighting seriously will make any difference." Natsu said, as he sneered at Erigor.

"Let's see how cocky you are after this." Erigor said, as his entire body became encompassed in wind. "**Wind Mail**. Here I come you bastard!"

"Some people never learn." Natsu said, as he engulfed his entire body in electricity.

* * *

(Back with Erza and the rest of Team Natsu)

"That flame brat must be dead by now." Kageyama said, causing Lucy to growl at him.

"Watch what you say about Natsu you dick." Lucy said, as she glared at Kageyama. "Why would say something like that anyways?"

"There's no way you can break through Erigor-san's **Storm Mail** with flames alone. Ever." Kageyama said with a cocky smirk.

"You seem to forget one thing." Lucy said with an all too sweet smile, as she leaned forward. "Natsu can use lightning as well as fire." Kageyama's eyes widened, as he remembered the dragon slayer being able to use both flames and lightning. "Also you probably didn't notice since you were unconscious, but Natsu's lightning managed to cut threw Erigor's wind wall."

"What!? That's impossible!" Kageyama exclaimed, shock written across his face.

"Oh, it's very possible." Erza said, as she turned her head to smirk at Kageyama. "And I wager anything that Natsu is kicking Erigor's ass right now."

* * *

(Back with Natsu)

_"How is this possible!?" _Erigor thought, as he fell to his knees. His **Storm Mail** dissipated, as he felt his entire body go numb. Erigor had been hit by so much lightning that his nerves were fried, and he couldn't feel anything. The Shinigami of Eisenwald was defenseless and out of magical energy, as Natsu stood over him. The dragon's slayers entire body was surrounded in powerful electricity. Erigor hadn't been able land a single blow on Natsu. The dragon's slayer's lightning negated Erigor's attacks and managed to pierce his **Storm Mail**. _"I can't believe dragon slayers of this caliber still exist." _

Erigor gasped in shock when Natsu grabbed him by his throat. The dragon slayer lifted Erigor into the air, and glared at him. Natsu's grip slowly began to tighten around Erigor's throat. Moments later the Eisenwald mage began to gasp for air, and weakly tried to claw at Natsu's hand. But right when Erigor's vision began to fade, he felt himself roughly thrown to the grown. Erigor took several deep lungfuls of air, before he looked up at the dragon slayer with fear in his eyes.

"I could have killed you right now." Natsu said coldly, his eyes full of anger. "I could have killed you several times during our fight. But I didn't. I didn't because I'm not like you." The harshness in Natsu's words caused Erigor to flinch. "I value human life, even the life of some heartless murderer like you." The dragon slayer's word stung, and Erigor hung his head in shame. "I'd rather see you pay for you crimes, and repent for your sins, instead of simply ending your life." Natsu suddenly grabbed Erigor by his scarf, and pulled him to his feet. "You threatened to hurt my nakama: Gray, Happy, the old geezers, **_Erza! Lucy! _****_Jii-chan!_**"A growl escaped Natsu's throat, as he said the last three names."I can never forgive you for threatening those precious to me, but I won't kill you. I'm gonna turn your pathetic ass over to the council, so they can give you proper punishment. But until then this will do!" Suddenly Natsu's fist shot forward. His fist struck Erigor in the face, knocking him unconscious. "I said I wouldn't kill. I didn't say I wouldn't knock you the fuck out!"

As Natsu stood triumphantly over the defeated Erigor, he never noticed Lullaby lying just a few feet away. The demonic flute seemed to be leaking a small trail black smoke from its mouth, and it appeared to be chuckling slightly.

"NATSU!" Lucy and Erza yelled, as the magical four wheeler came to a skidding stop a few feet away.

"Oh, hey guys!" Natsu said with a smile, as he placed his hands on his hips. "You're all late, I've already dealt with this guy." Natsu gestured to Erigor with his thumb.

"Aye sir! Natsu was incredible!" Happy cheered, as he jumped into the air.

"Well done, Natsu." Erza said, as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"N-No way." Kageyama said to himself. "He beat Erigor-san, and he barely has a scratch on him."

Erza slowly took the S.E. plug off her wrist. But she started to step off the magical four wheeler, she suddenly clutched her throbbing head. The knight groaned and began to fall over, but Lucy quickly rushed over and grabbed her.

"Erza! Are you all right?!" Lucy asked, as she supported Erza.

"Y-Yeah, don't worry about me." Erza replied, as Lucy started to walk her towards Natsu. "I just need to catch my breath."

"H-How did you beat him so easily?" Gray asked, looking down at Erigor's unconscious form.

"I figured that since my lightning could cut through his wind wall, that it could through his other attacks." Natsu explained, as he rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I was right, because he couldn't land a hit on me. Well except this one." Natsu held up his right arm, showing the large cut on his forearm. "I kinda blocked his scythe with my arm, heheh."

"Lucy, I'm fine now. You don't help me anymore." Erza said, as Lucy released her. The scarlet haired knight made her way over to the dragon slayer with Lucy following closely behind.

"Hey Erza!" Natsu exclaimed with a massive grin on his face. "You missed it, I kicked some major ass!" Instead of words of praise, Natsu received two harsh slaps. The stunned dragon slayer looked to see Erza and Lucy both glaring at him. "What was that for!?"

"For being a reckless idiot!" Lucy yelled, as she placed her hands on her hips. "You had Erza and I seriously worried back there! You're lucky you figured out Erigor's weakness! If you hadn't, you could have seriously been hurt Natsu." The blonde could feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "Do you know how devastated I would have been if you had been seriously hurt! We just reunited after not seeing each other for seven years!" Natsu was surprised when Lucy launched her arms around him. "Natsu, you're my first and best friend. I can't lose you."

"I-I'm sorry Luce." Natsu said in a shocked tone, as he wrapped his arms around Lucy. "I didn't know that I made you worry so much." Natsu released Lucy, and gave her a soft smile. "I'll try to warn you before I run off to do something stupid again."

"That's all I ask." Lucy said, she wiped away her tears. A smile spread across her face, as she playfully punched Natsu's arm. "Just let me know, so I can stop your stupid ass next time."

"Lucy's right Natsu." Erza said, as she crossed her arms under her chest. The scarlet haired woman avoided the dragon slayers gaze. "You're my best friend as well, and I was seriously worried about you. So next time you decide to run off, and fight some mass-murdering asshole please let tell me." Erza clenched her fists around her arms. "I should have been here to help you fight."

"Erza." Natsu said softly, but the knight still avoided his gaze. "Please Erza look at me." With a deep sigh, Erza relented and looked at Natsu. "I'm sorry that I worried you. You're the last person that I want to worry. I know you don't want to hear this, but you were in no condition to help me." Natsu's words caused Erza to hang her head. But the dragon slayer gently cupped her chin and raised her head. "Erza please don't get yourself down. You used a lot of magical energy driving us to Oshibana and fighting those Eisenwald mages. The last thing I wanted was you to overexert yourself and get hurt. You just have to trust me to handle things on my home sometimes."

"Alright Natsu." Erza said, as she hugged Natsu. "You really did do an amazing job. Because of you the guild masters are safe now."

"Thanks Erza." Natsu said, as he tightened the hug. "Hey, since we're already here we might as well go see Jii-chan. We can tell him everything that happened."

"That sounds like-" Erza was cut off when the sound of an engine roaring to life came from the Fairy Tail mages. All the Fairy Tail mages were shocked to see Kageyama behind the wheel.

"Kageyama what the hell are you doing?!" Erza exclaimed, just as Kageyama started to race down the tracks. Natsu quickly grabbed Lucy and Erza and dove out of the vehicles path.

"You were careless, flies." Kageyama laughed, as his shadow scooped up Lullaby. "The flute...Lullaby is in my hands now! Serves you right, haha!"

"You son of a bitch!" Natsu roared, as flames exploded off his body.

"How could he do that?!" Lucy yelled, as she shook her fist at Kageyama's retreating vehicle. "We even saved his ungrateful ass!"

"We're going after him." Erza growled, causing everyone to nod in agreement.

* * *

(Clover Town)

Kageyama panted as he stepped off the magical four wheeler. He had managed to make it where the guild masters were having their regular meeting. The shadow user breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the meeting was still going on.

_"Good...the regular meeting isn't over yet. Lullaby's melody can reach them without any trouble from this distance. Heheh, the time as come." _Kageyama was shaken from his thoughts when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. The hand then poked Kageyama's cheek. Kageyama quickly spun around to see Makarov, master of Fairy Tail, sitting on the magical four wheeler right behind him.

"Bwhahaha!" Makarov laughed, as he pointed at Kageyama. But Makarov suddenly stopped, and a look of dread spread across his face. "No, it's not time to do this. I've gotta hurry up, and find where Natsu, Gray, and Erza are. Otherwise a whole town might disappear." Makarov jumped off the four wheeler, and turned to Kageyama. "You should go back, too. To the hospital I mean."

_"Makarov! He's Makarov from Fairy Tail!" _Kageyama thought, as he began to sweat._ "Tch...what a day, meeting flies everywhere." _

"U-Uh excuse me." Kageyama said timidly.

"Hrm?" Makarov said, turning back around.

Would...you please listen to one song?" Kageyama said, as he raised Lullaby to his lips. "The hospital won't let me play." Makarov gave Kageyama a suspicious look. "I really want someone to listen to it."

"That's one creepy looking flute kid." Makarov said, giving the flute a wary look.

"It may look creepy, but it sounds pretty good." Kageyama explained with a smile.

"*Sigh* I'm in a hurry. Only one song, okay?" Makarov asked, wagging his finger.

"Of course." Kageyama said, as a victorious smirk spread across his face. As Kageyama brought the flute to his lips, he remembered the words of his guild mates.

_"Legal guilds are all trash!"_

_"They're so weak, but they're still proud of themselves!"_

_"This our revenge on the world of mages that locked us up in darkness, and took away our lives! We'll kill all the guild masters around here to start!"_

But then Kageyama remembered everything the Fairy Tail mages had said to him.

_"Your rights will never be returned if you do something that awful!"_

_"You should do something positive with you lives."_

_"Kageyama! We need your help!"_

_"Aren't you nakama from the same guild!"_

Kageyama grit his teeth, as he began to hesitate. He was having conflicting thoughts. He wanted to kill the guild masters for what they had done to his guild. But at the same time he couldn't ignore the kindness that the Fairy Tail mages had show him, even though he was one of their enemies. Without them he would likely be dead. Just then Team Natsu arrived at the scene.

"There he is!"

"Jii-chan!"

"Master!"

"Shh!" Bob, master of Blue Pegasus, said as he blocked the Fairy Tail mages path. "The best part is coming up. Just watch. My, my you two are cute." Bob said, as he eyed Natsu and Gray. Both Fairy Tail mages felt their skin begin to crawl.

"W-Who is this guy?" Lucy asked with a sweatdrop.

"You're the master of Blue Pegasus!" Erza said in a shocked tone.

"My, Erza-chan you've grown." Bob said, placing his hand on his face. "You too Natsu-kun."

"What's going on? Hurry up and play." Makarov said, as he started to get impatient. But Kageyama still hesitated to play the flute. Kageyama's hands began to shake, as sweat poured off his brow.

"No! Master get away!" Erza exclaimed, but Goldmine stopped her.

"Just stay quiet. This should be interesting." Goldmine said with a smirk.

"Now." Makarov ordered, as he glared at Kageyama. Everyone watched with baited breath as Kageyama pressed the back to his lips.

_"Play...I just need to play the damn thing. Everything will change after that!" _Kageyama thought, as he clenched his eyes shut.

"Nothing will change." Makarov said, causing Kageyama's eyes to shoot wide open. "Weaklings will stay weak forever. But weakness is not an evil thing, since human beings are weak creatures to begin with. Alone you feel afraid and insecure; that's why we form guilds. That's why we have nakama." Slowly Kageyama lowered the flute away from his mouth. "We walk together in order to live a strong life. The clumsy ones will run into more walls than others and it may take them longer to get there. If you believe in tomorrow and put yourself out there, you can naturally obtain your strength. That's how you'll be able to smile and live strong, without having to depend on such a flute, of course."

A sharp gasp escaped Kageyama's throat. _"Amazing...He knew __everything." _Tears fell from Kageyama's eyes, as he collapsed to his knees. He hung his head in shame before Makarov.

"I admit my loss." Kageyama said, as he kneeled before Fairy Tail's master.

"Master!" All the Fairy Tail mages yelled, as they ran towards Makarov.

"WHAT!? Why are you guys here?!" Makarov exclaimed in shock, his eyes bulging.

"You're amazing, Master!" Erza said, as she hugged Makarov. "Your words touched me!" Makarov grunted in pain, as his head thudded against Erza's armored chest.

"Jii-chan you're awesome." Natsu said with a grin, as he patted Makarov's head.

"I would advise you stop doing that, Natsu." Makarov said, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Well I guess that settles everything." Gray said, putting his hands in his pockets.

Lucy kneeled down next to Kageyama. An annoyed look was spread across the blonde's face. With a huff Lucy patted Kageyama's shoulder.

"Come on, let's go see a doctor now." Lucy said, earning a weak nod from Kageyama.

But suddenly everyone stopped when a menacing laugh sounded next to Kageyama. Everyone present looked to see Lullaby oozing a thick black smoke from the skull on the end of the flute.

"You mages have no guts." Lullaby said, startling everyone. "I can't hold it any longer. I'll kill you all myself."

"T-The flute talked!" Lucy exclaimed fear evident in her tone.

"Look! The smoke is a shape!" Happy shouted, as the smoke began to take shape.

Everyone watched as the smoke began to form a massive body, that towered over all the mages present. The smoke then began to materialize and become solid. What the smoke formed shocked everyone. A massive tree-like monster with three glowing red eyes loomed over the mages.

"This is my true form!" Lullaby said with a dark chuckle. "Now...let me consume your pitiful souls."

"I-It can't be." Erza said, taking a step back.

"A MONSTER!" Happy yelled, as he hid behind Natsu.

"Wh-What is that?!" Kageyama asked, as he stared at the monster towering over them. "I didn't know anything about this!"

"Oh my...this is gotten rather serious." Bob said, covering his mouth with his hand.

"That thing is a demon from the book of Zeref!" Goldmine exclaimed, as he broke out in a cold sweat.

"I'm starving to death, so I'm gonna eat your souls." Lullaby said, causing Natsu to growl.

"What?!" Natsu yelled, as he glared at the demon. But then Natsu turned to Gray. "Are souls even edible? Do they taste good?"

"How the fuck would I know?!" Gray yelled, as he smacked Natsu upside the head.

"What...is going on? How could a demon come out of a flute?" Lucy asked, turning to face Goldmine.

"That demon is Lullaby itself. Meaning it's living magic." Goldmine explained, as Lullaby began to walk towards them. "That's Zeref's magic."

"Living magic..." Erza said, as she glared at Lullaby.

"Zeref?! You're talking about the Zeref from ancient times!?" Gray exclaimed in shock.

"The dark mage Zeref. The evilest magian the history of magic..." Bob explained, pressing a hand to his cheek. "I never thought that his works from several hundred years ago would appear."

"Now...Whose soul should I enjoy first?" Lullaby asked itself, as it raked its three eyes over all the mages present.

"Well Erza, you said you wanted to fight by my side earlier." Natsu said with a smirk, cracking his knuckles. "Now's your chance."

"I've regained most of my magical energy, so I'm good to go." Erza said with a nod of her head.

"I've decided." Lullaby said with an evil smirk. "ALL OF YOURS!" The demon opened its mouth, and began to produce a sickly sound.

"NO! That's the Lullaby!" Goldmine shouted, as he covered his ears.

"Ready to go?" Natsu asked Gray and Erza. Both mages nodded, causing a grin to spread across Natsu's face. "Then let's fuck this demon bastard up!"

The three Fairy Tail mages launched forward towards the demon. Erza quickly re-equipped into her **Heaven's Wheel **armor, and using her numerous swords, began to slash at Lullaby's legs. Lullaby attempted to smash Erza with its massive hand, but she dove to safety at the last moment. While Lullaby was distracted with Erza, Natsu was scaling up the demon's body.

"Don't take your eyes off your opponents!" Natsu roared, as he jumped into the air above Lullaby. "**Fire Dragon's Claw!**" Natsu's flaming roundhouse kick sent the demon reeling backwards. But Lullaby quickly recovered from the attack.

"You impudent little fool!" Lullaby roared, firing several balls of energy at Natsu.

"Shit!" Natsu exclaimed, as he jumped out of the way. The balls of energy missed Natsu, but were now heading towards a group of bystanders.

"**Ice Make**..." Gray said, punching his palm. Ice magic freezing the air around him. "**Shield!**" A large flower shaped shield appeared in front of Gray, and protected him and the bystanders.

"Wow! He's able to use creation magic that fast!?" One of the bystanders yelled in awe.

"**Ice Make Lance!**" Dozens of spears made out of ice shoot out of Gray's hands. The razor sharp ice spears raced towards Lullaby. When the spears hit, they took a large chunk of Lullaby's body.

"What destructive power!" Lucy exclaimed shocked by the strength of Gray's attack.

"ERZA! NOW!" Gray yelled, as he fired another volley of ice spears.

"Re-equip! **Black Wing Armor!**" Erza yelled, as she swapped into a new set of armor. Around Erza's neck was a neck guard decorated by several gems. Her long scarlet hair was tied up in a high ponytail, with two bangs framing her face. Her large shoulderpads, each composed of two silver-edged plates one over the other, sporteded silver crosses on them too, and flank the high collar. A silver-edged breastplate revealed a fair amount of Erza's cleavage and belly, with plates flanking her hips and reaching down to her very large waistguard, composed of very long, silver-edged plates shaped like feathers and decorated by silver crosses. The waistguard left the front of Erza's body exposed, with her groin being covered by a dark garment. The slim gauntlets on her arms came equipped with prominent protection for her hands, each sporting silver patterns. The plates guarding her legs were sliver-edged on her thighs and knees, but pitch black dark on her metal greaves. But the most noticeable feature of the armor was the large pair of wings protruding from the back.

"Black Wing Armor!?" A bystander exclaimed in surprise. "That armor increase the user's attack power!"

As Erza flew towards Lullaby, Natsu once again ran up the demon's body. The demon tried to swat off the dragon slayer, but Natsu jumped into the air. Natsu growled, as flames engulfed both of his hands.

"With flames on my right hand, and flames on the left..." Natsu slammed his hands together, causing the flames to merge together. A massive ball of fire formed over Natsu's head. "**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**"

As Natsu's fireball shot towards Lullaby, Gray and Erza prepared there own attacks. Erza, using her enhanced attack power, cut one of Lullaby's arms clean off. Gray launched another volley of ice spears, severing part of Lullaby's abdomen. Finally Natsu's massive fireball hit, destroying most of Lullaby's head. The demon stood for a few moments, before it fell to the ground, its body a smoking heap.

"Excellent." Makarov said, as he watched the demon fall. Lullaby collapsed, crushing the building where the master's were holding there regular meeting.

"Zeref's demon defeated fairly easily." Ooba Babasaama, guild master of Lamia Scale, said as she gazed at the Fairy Tail mages. "I'm quite impressed."

Lucy couldn't help the massive smile that spread across her face, as she watched her nakama emerge from the smoke. Natsu, Erza, and Gray stood triumphantly amongst Lullaby's remains. _"They're incredible! Especially Natsu and Erza!" _

"This is truly Fairy Tail's strongest team!" Lucy cheered, as she clapped her hands together.

"What do you guys think?! Aren't they great!?" Makarov yelled, as he jumped in the air.

"You guys are the best!" Lucy exclaimed, as she ran up to the three mages. "Especially you Natsu! That last move you pulled was amazing! And Erza that armor was so cool!"

"It was nothing." Natsu and Erza said simultaneously, as they bumped fists.

"I'm here too you know." Gray said with a frown.

"Oh you were awesome too Gray." Lucy said in an embarrassed tone.

"Tch, whatever." Gray said, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Kageyama felt tears form in his eyes, as he watched the victorious Fairy Tail mages celebrate. Seeing the camaraderie between the mages made Kageyama regret his past choices. However Kageyama yelled in pain when he was suddenly embraced by Bob.

"Now you have to see a doctor." Bob said, as he scratched Kageyama's chin. A shiver ran down the shadow user' spine. "Right?"

"I have no idea why this happened, but we owe Fairy Tail one." Goldmine said with a grin.

"Don't worry about it! HAHA!" Makarov cheered, with a massive smile on his face. But the smile instantly disappeared, as Makarov saw the destruction that lay behind everyone. The regular meeting site was completely destroyed. Makarov's eyes widened, as he began to sneak away from everyone. It was then that the rest of the Fairy Tail mages noticed the destruction as well. Erza and Lucy quickly covered their mouths to hide their squeaks of surprise.

"The regular meeting site has crumbled to dust!" Goldmine yelled, as his mouth hung open.

"HAHA! We completely wrecked that place!" Natsu laughed with his hands on his hips. "I've done way worse though."

"Get them!" The peter guild masters yelled, as they chased after the Fairy Tail mages.

"Master...we're really sorry." Erza said, as she grabbed Natsu. The knight pulled the dragon slayer along, as they ran away from the mob of angry guild masters. "We've disgraced you."

"Ah, don't worry about it." Makarov said, as he dodged a throw object. "I don't think they'll invite me back next time."

"AHAHA! I love this guild!" Natsu exclaimed with a gleeful smile, as he ran ahead of everyone. "Come on Erza, Lucy we have to hurry back and tell everyone how much ass we kicked!"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Lucy said with a smile, as she ran after Natsu, giggling the whole way.

"It will be nice to tell Mira about what happened." Erza said with a smile, as she picked up her pace.

* * *

(Back at Fairy Tail)

"What'cha got there Mira?" Elfman asked, as he walked up to the bar.

"Oh, it's a book I borrowed from Levy." Mirajane answered, as she adjusted her glasses.

"What's the book about?" Elfman asked, his interest now sparked.

"It's about dragons and dragon slayer." Mira replied, as she flipped a page.

"Huh?" Elfman said, as he leaned over the bar so that he could see what Mira was reading. What he saw caused him to raise an eyebrow. "Dragon mating and its relation to dragon slayers? Why would you be reading about that?"

"Oh I was just curious about something." Mira replied with an innocent smile. _"Mmm, there was some very interesting stuff in here. I'll have to have a chat with Lucy when she gets back. If the both of us work together, maybe we'll be able to convince Erza." _

* * *

**Aaand done! What did Mira learn from the book? What will she talk about with Lucy? Okay Next chapter will start the Galuna Island arc, which I really just want to speed through. So don't be too surprised if the Galuna Island arc is a little closer to cannon than these previous arcs. Because once we hit the Phantom Lord arc shit will start to get really good. I thought you guys might like to know when you can expect each girl to join Natsu's harem, so I decided to give you a general idea on when certain girls will join: Lucy- Phantom Lord arc, Erza- Tower of Heaven arc, Mirajane- Battle for Fairy Tail arc, Wendy- Edolas arc, Flare- Sun Village arc, and Juvia- X791/Grand Magic Games arc(Not 100% sure when, but it will be after the timeskip) So now you guys know when a girl is likely to join. So what did you guys think. Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW!, and PM me ideas for this story. Please keep up your awesome support of this story. So until next time I'm outta here!**


	10. Chapter 10 Natsu Defeats Erza?

**Hey guys I'm back with another chapter here! This chapter will be the start of the Galuna Island arc. I'm gonna try to fly through this arc pretty quickly, so that we can get the Phantom Lord arc(Where I have a lot of awesome shit planned). So I apologize in advance if this arc stays a little closer to cannon than the other arcs. I just want to get this arc done and over with. Also we've passed 500 followers, and are almost at 500 favorites, which is blowing my mind. We've also almost reached 200 reviews. Thank you all for your amazing support of this story, it's what makes me want to write it so much. So with all that out of the way let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

(2 Days After the Lullaby Incident)

"Even if Eisenwald has been defeated, the main problem hasn't been solved yet. There are still tons of dark guilds still in existence." Magic Council member, Belno, said as she turned to her fellow council members. All of the Magical Council members were gathered around a large round table, and were discussing recent events.

"We should root them all out together." Michello suggested, earning a sigh from Yajima.

"And how do you suggest we do that, Michello?" Yajima asked in a tired tone.

"It's unacceptable for any wizard to embezzle Zeref's dark magic." Org said, as he held up Lullaby. "We cannot allow something like this to happen again."

"How could have Eisenwald attained such dark magic anyways?" Cran Doma asked his fellow council members. "Security must be increased around evil magic like this."

"Good thing Fairy Tail, the guild you all are annoyed by, showed up to save the day." Siegrain said with a smirk, as he leaned back in his chair.

"They managed to take out an entire dark guild with only four mages." Ultear added with a small smile. "One of their mages, Natsu Dragneel, managed to defeat Erigor almost without injury." All the other council members grumbled various words of annoyance.

"I can understand you all don't want to admit the truth. But that's how it is." Siegrain said, as he crossed his legs. "If the guild masters had been killed by Lullaby, things would have been much worse. Some of us would likely have been fired."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Org exclaimed, slamming his fist onto the table. "Are you really gonna bring up the matter of responsibility here?!"

"That's out of the question! We're already tearing our hair out, because of Fairy Tail's reckless behavior!" Michello shouted, as he shook his fist.

"You should show Fairy Tail some thanks and stop complaining." Siegrain said, earning growls from several of the other council members.

* * *

(Back in Magnolia)

_"Eisenwald's terrorist attempt at the guild master's regular meeting became huge news, and it wasn't long before all of Fiore heard about it." _Lucy thoughts, as she tied her hair in a sideways ponytail on the ride side of her head. _"I still can't believe I was in the middle of such a big incident, but here I am now, just living another regular day in my life." _Lucy pulled up her skirt, and zipped up her blue and white blouse. _"Thought I have to admit I get really excited when I remember the incident. Natsu and Erza were totally amazing, and Gray seemed pretty strong too. But I have a weird feeling that Natsu and Erza weren't going all out, and that they were __seriously holding back their true potential." _Walking into her living room, Lucy took a seat at her writing desk. Pulling out a pen, Lucy began to write a letter to her mother. _"Rumor has it that Kageyama and most of the Eisenwald mages were arrested, which is no surprise. But I'm kinda worried, because Erigor hasn't been arrested yet. Ah, who am I kidding? If he comes __back Natsu will just kick the shit out of him again. We'll definitely be alright, because Fairy Tail has its strongest team at the ready with Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, and me." _Lucy smiled, as she placed the letter in an envelope and placed a seal on it. _"Fairy Tail is truly the best guild. I'm so glad Natsu and I reunited, and he brought me to such an amazing place. I really wish you could have met Natsu mom, I'm sure you would have loved him like I do. I'm not afraid to think about it anymore, I think I am in love in Natsu. I just have to find the right time to tell him. So please don't worry about me mom. I'm doing fine over here." _Lucy released a sigh, and leaned back in her chair.

"A amazing, suspense-filled adventure is great and everything, but nothing beats a relaxing day at home." Lucy said, as she stretched her arms out. A mischievous smile spread across Lucy's face, as an idea popped into her head. "Maybe I'll go shopping later. I can probably get Natsu to come along if I tell him we can get something to eat after."

"Hmm, Mira was right; 70,000 jewels a month for this place is nothing." A voice from behind Lucy said. Lucy quickly spun around in her chair to see Gray sitting behind her. "You found a great place here Lucy." Gray grinned, as he waved at Lucy.

"KYAA! TRESSPASER!" Lucy screamed, kicking Gray in the face. The ice mage was sent fly across the room, where he crashed into a wall. "And keep your fucking clothes on in my home!"

"You've got it all wrong!" Gray argued, as he dusted himself off. "My clothes were already off before I got here."

"I don't fucking care!" Lucy yelled, as pointed towards her door. "Go home now!"

"I guess you forgot 'that' is taking place today." Gray said cryptically, causing Lucy to raise an eyebrow. "I came to get you, because flame brain didn't want you to miss it."

"That? What are you on about?" Lucy asked with a confused look.

"I knew you forgot." Gray said with a sigh, putting his hands in his pockets. "Didn't you hear Natsu before we left on our mission?" Hearing Gray say this caused Lucy's eyes to widen.

"That's right! Natsu and Erza are fighting!" Lucy exclaimed, as she raced to her front door. "I have to get down to the guild so I can watch!" Lucy slammed her door, racing out of her apartment.

"Hey wait for me!" Gray yelled, as he ran after Lucy.

Lucy and Gray sprinted through the streets of Magnolia towards Fairy Tail. As they neared the guild, Lucy could hear the sounds of cheering. Rounding a corner, Lucy and Gray spotted a large crowed gathered in front of Fairy Tail. Lucy ran towards the crowd, and began to push her way through. Reaching the front Lucy spotted Natsu and Erza standing in the center of the crowd.

"Are they serious about this?!" Lucy asked, as she stood next to Mirajane.

"Of course they're serious! If they weren't they wouldn't be real men!" Elfman yelled, as he clenched his fist.

"But Erza's a girl." Mirajane corrected with a giggle.

"But if two people from the strongest team fight..." Lucy tried to say, but Gray cut her off.

"Strongest team? What are you talking about?" Gray asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm talkin about Natsu, Erza, and you! You three are the strongest mages in Fairy Tail, right?" Lucy asked, causing Gray to look even more confused.

"Huh? Who told you something so stupid?" Gray asked, causing Mirajane to start crying. "O-Oh!...It was Mira-chan?"

"GRAY!" Natsu's voice echoed out, causing the ice mage to turn around. The dragon slayer was glaring at him with fire in his eyes. "After I'm done with Erza, I'm kicking your ass for making Mira cry!"

"HA! Like you could ever do that!" Gray laughed, as he turned back around.

"I can acknowledge Natsu and Gray's manliness...But I cannot let you say they're the strongest." Elfman said, crossing his arms over his chest. "There are men in Fairy Tail that are much stronger than them, like me."

"Didn't Natsu take you out in one punch?" Lucy pointed out, causing Elfman to hang his head in shame.

"I must agree that Erza is the strongest woman thought." Levy said, earning nods from Jet and Droy.

"If we're talking about men there's Mystogan and Laxus." Jet said, as Droy leaned over his shoulder.

"Don't forget about Gildarts." Droy added in a low tone.

"I just thought Gray would get along with Natsu and Erza perfectly." Mirajane said, as she wiped away her tears.

"Either way this should be an interesting battle." Elfman said with a grin.

"Really? I'm expecting Erza to mop the floor with Natsu." Gray said with a small smirk.

Back in the center of the crowd, Natsu and Erza were staring each other down. Erza had a small smile on her face, while Natsu had a massive toothy grin. Sparks danced off Natsu's hands, as he cracked his knuckles. Erza looked relatively calm, as her arms rested at her side.

"How long has been since we last fought, Natsu?" Erza asked, causing Natsu to perk up.

"We haven't fought since we were kids! I've changed a lot since then, and I'll win today!" Natsu exclaimed, as electricity sparked off his body.

"Hmm, then I'll take this serious too." Erza said, as her entire began to glow brightly. "I want to test out my power as well." The armor Erza re-equipped into caused Lucy's eyes to widen. The breastplate was decorated by golden trimmings, and had thin plates going up to surround Erza's neck; the similarly adorned pauldrons were composed of two plates one over the other, with the top ones each sporting a prominent protrusion. Similar protrusions, although less prominent, can also be seen on the armored gauntlets which cover the entirety of her arms; the greaves, on the other hand, possessed matching protrusions on them, with a particularly large pair adorning the knee guards, but were instead composed of plates attached to simple, thigh-high boots with high heels. The armor lacked a waistguard, instead sporting a decorated cloth hanging down from the breastplate to cover Erza's groin, sporting a single piece on the top front and three on the back, which were decorated by large spheres with fur-like ornaments hanging from them. Erza's head was adorned with a band with two ribbons on it, and her hair was styled back in a long braid. The armor's weapon of choice seemed to be a long spear, with a very large blade and a decorated circle resembling a shield attached to the shaft, which was adorned by a large ribbon. "**Lightning Empress Armor!**" A grin spread smirk spread across Erza's face, as she stared at Natsu. "Come at me with everything you've got, Natsu!"

"**Lightning Empress Armor**?!" A spectator in the crowd exclaimed. "That armor is resistant to lightning attacks!"

"The effects of Natsu's lightning will be cut in half!" Another spectator yelled, causing a frown to spread across Happy's face. "Erza! You're taking this to serious!"

"Can I bet on Erza?" Happy asked, as he handed Cana a handful of jewels.

"How can you be so heartless?!" Lucy yelled, as she grabbed Happy and pulled him away from Cana. "I could never do something like that! I don't want either of them to lose!"

"Well there will be one winner and a loser." Gray said, as he prepared for the fight to start.

"Lucy, can I speak with you in private after this is all done?" Mirajane asked suddenly.

"Uh...sure thing Mira-san." Lucy replied in a confused tone.

_"Perfect." _Mirajane thought, as a smirk spread across her face.

* * *

"**Lightning Empress Armor**, huh..." Natsu said, as a grin spread across his face. "Bring it on." Lightning engulfed Natsu's hand, sending sparks flying all around him. "Now I can go all out without any regrets!"

"I like the sound of that." Erza said, as she entered into a fighting stance. "I've been looking forward to this fight Natsu. So give me your all!"

"Are you both ready?" Makarov asked, earning a nod from Natsu and Erza. "Then BEGIN!" For a few tense moments no one moved. Suddenly Natsu shot forward, causing a loud thunderclap.

"**Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu roared, as he swung a lighting coated fist at Erza. The Knight raised her spear to block the attack, and was sent skidding back several feet. Quickly recovering, Erza stabbed her spear towards Natsu. But the dragon slayer ducked under her jab. Doing a quick summersault, Natsu used his gathered momentum and vaulted forward. "**Lightning Dragon's Claw!**" Erza barely managed to dodge Natsu's electrically charged foot, as it crashed into where she had been standing moments before. The ground underneath Natsu's foot exploded in a burst of electricity, as Erza put some distance between herself and Natsu. But Natsu was instantly charging towards Erza, this time flames licking his fists.

"Fire this time?" Erza said, as her body was once again engulfed in bright light. Erza's new armor was predominantly dark red in color, but also had orange and black parts, with the orange parts being shaped like flames and the other parts being similar to a dragon's limbs. The armor consisted of a breastplate, gauntlets, and greaves. The breastplate lacked pauldrons, revealing Erza's shoulder, and it extended down to cover her groin, revealing her legs. The black portions of the armor appeared to be mostly decorative. With the exception of the portion covering her groin. The breastplate also possessed a pair of dragon-like wings attached to it. The gauntlets sported prominent orange decorations, along with small claw-like protrusions on the hands. The greaves were shaped likes dragon's claws which possessed orange-colored knee guards and black portions which extended up from the knees to her upper thighs. Also while donning this armor, Erza's hair was tied into a pair of high, long pigtails. Her pigtails were held up by black clips, which resembled dragon's horns. "**Flame Empress Armor!**"

Erza managed to re-equip into her new armor just as Natsu's fist crashed into her chest. Even though the effectiveness of the flames was cut in half, Erza was still sent flying back by the force of Natsu's strike. Once again Natsu charged forward, but this Erza was ready. She quickly swept out Natsu's legs, causing him to fall to the ground. But to Erza's shock, Natsu recovered from the fall with incredible speed. Springing backwards off his hands, Natsu inhaled deeply. Sparks filled the air around Natsu, as his cheeks bulged.

_"Shit! It's lightning this time!" _Erza thought, as she tried to switch armors. But Natsu was to quick for her re-equip magic.

"**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**" A stream of concentrated lightning shot from Natsu's mouth, and struck Erza while she was in the middle of re-equipping her armor. The crowd gasped, as Erza was sent flying backwards. Erza grunted in pain, as she finished her re-equip. She landed back on the ground adorned in her **Lightning Empress Armor**. But within seconds Natsu was on top of her once again. Erza's eyes widened when she saw Natsu's fists coated in fire.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu's fist collided with Erza's stomach, knocking the wind out of the knight. Erza went flying the crowd of onlookers, and crashed into a nearby wall.

_"When did Natsu get so fast? And since when could he switch between his magics so quickly?" _Erza thought through the pain, as she watched Natsu shot towards her once more. Turning her head, Erza awaited the impact of Natsu's flame covered fist. But the punch never came. Slowly opening her eyes, Erza saw Natsu's fire coated fist inches from her face. Sweat poured off her brow, as the heat from the flames hit her. The flames around Natsu's hand died down, and he offered it to Erza. The dragon slayer grinned down at the knight, as she took his hand. Natsu pulled Erza to her feet, causing her to grunt in pain.

"Why didn't you finish me off?" Erza asked, earning a laugh from Natsu.

"Why would I do something like that?!" Natsu laughed, as he patted Erza's shoulder. "We're just sparring right, plus why would I want to hurt my best friend?"

"I guess I thank you for that." Erza said with a chuckle. "Since when did you get so strong?"

"I told you I've changed." Natsu said with a toothy grin. "I'm a lot stronger than I used to be."

"That you are." Erza said with small smile. She was going to say more, but a sudden clapping stopped her.

"Alright, that's enough." A voice from within the crowd said. The crowd separated to reveal a amphibian-like man standing in the middle of road. "Nobody move. I'm a messenger from the council." The messenger pulled out a scroll, and began to read its contents. "With charges of property damage and eleven other crimes from the Eisenwald terrorism incident the other day, Erza Scarlet has been put under arrest."

"EH?!" Erza squeaked, as her eyes widened.

"WHAT?!" Natsu roared in outrage.

"If you don't come quietly your sentence will be doubled." The messenger said, causing Natsu's rage to increase.

"Why are you arresting Erza?!" Natsu yelled, as he took a step forward. "I'm the one who caused all that destruction!"

"My orders are to arrest Erza Scarlet and her alone. If you'd like to argue this, you can speak with the council." The messenger said, causing Natsu to growl.

"Natsu calm down." Erza said with a deep sigh. "I'll go quietly."

"But Erza!"

"Natsu just stop." Erza said with a small smile. "Everything will okay, I promise." Erza held out her hands, and allowed the messenger to cuff her. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon." As Natsu watched Erza be led off, he couldn't help the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

(Three Hours Later)

The mood in Fairy Tail was sullen, as the guild's members all sat around quietly. Most of the mages were resting their heads on the tables. Everyone was upset about Erza's arrest, everyone except Natsu. The dragon slayer was leaning in a chair in the middle of the guild, and he appeared to be calm as ever. It almost seemed as if nothing had happened. This confused most of the guild members, they thought he'd be yelling and hollering to get Erza back. But he appeared to be perfectly fine.

_"Something's not right." _Mirajane thought, as her eyes narrowed at Natsu. _"There's no way Natsu would be so calm right now. We'd usually have to be holding him down if something like this happened." _

Lucy all picked up on this well as she stared at the dragon slayer. _"Why isn't Natsu freaking out right now? I thought Erza was his best friend."_

"Tch, even if something's white, once the council says it's black, then it becomes black." Gray said with frown, as he stared down at the table he was sitting at. "They won't listen to anything we say."

"But why now...We've done so many other things in the past, why is this time so different?" Elfman asked, resting his head in his hand.

"Yeah...it makes no sense." Loke said, as he rubbed his chin.

"I'm certain something fishy is going on here." Lucy said, as she rested her head on a table. When Lucy saw Natsu doing nothing, a sudden bout of anger flashed through her. "I just can't leave her like that! Let's go testify on her behalf!" Lucy slammed her hands on the table, and suddenly stood up.

"Hmm, have some patience my dear." Makarov said, earning a glare from Lucy.

"What are you saying?! She doesn't deserve this!" Lucy exclaimed in an angry tone. "We'll be too late if she's already sentenced!"

"No matter how fast we try, we'd never get there in time." Makarov explained, his brows furrowing.

Mirajane once again looked at Natsu, and saw that he was unaffected by Lucy's outburst. _"Something is seriously wrong. If Lucy wanted to do __something, Natsu would back her one hundred percent." _Something didn't feel right to the white-haired barmaid, so she decided to try somethings out.

"Natsu would you like something to eat?" Mirajane asked with a sweet smile, as she walked up to the dragon slayer.

"Nah, I'm fine Mira-chan." Natsu said with a smile,as he turned to look at Mirajane.

"Mira-chan?" Lucy said with a confused look, as she turned to the dragon slayer. "Natsu never calls Mira that." Lucy walked over to Natsu and glared at him. "Okay who are you?"

"What are you talking about Lucy, it's me." Natsu said in a confused tone. "You two are acting weird."

"You're not calling me Luce now either, who the hell are you?" Lucy asked, as she grabbed Natsu by the collar.

"A-Are you feeling alight L-Luce?" Natsu stuttered out, as sweat began to form on his brow.

"What's up Natsu? Cat got your tongue?" Makarov asked with a small smile, as he suddenly blasted Natsu. The dragon slayer erupted into a cloud of smoke, before Macao fell onto the ground in Natsu's place.

"MACAO!?" The entire guild yelled in shock.

"Sorry." Macao apologized, as he rubbed the back of his head. "I owed Natsu a favor. So I transformed into him."

"Then where's the real Natsu?!" Lucy exclaimed in a worried tone.

"Don't tell me he went after Erza!" Gray yelled, causing Macao to chuckle.

"Yeah probably." Macao replied with small grin.

"This is no joke! He'll probably beat up the council members!" Elfman exclaimed in a panic.

"Sit quiet everyone." Makarov said, gaining everyone's attention. "Just patiently wait for the outcome." All the guild members nodded, and sat back down to wait for news from the council.

"Lucy may I speak with you now?" Mirajane asked, walking up to the blonde.

"Uh, yeah sure Mira-san." Lucy answered, causing Mirajane to smile.

"Great, then follow me to somewhere more private." Mirajane said, as Lucy stood from her seat. The white-haired barmaid quickly led Lucy into a storage room near the back of the guild. Flicking on the lights, Mirajane and Lucy sat down at a table near the back of the room.

"What did you want to talk about Mira-san?" Lucy asked, as she got comfortable in her seat.

"This." Mirajane replied, placing a book on the table. Lucy picked up the book and read its title.

"Dragons and Dragon Slayers? What's this got to do with anything?" Lucy asked, as she set the book back down.

"Lucy, I'm only going to ask you this one time, and I want a truthful answer from you." Mirajane said, causing Lucy to quirk a blonde eyebrow. "Do you love Natsu?"

"W-W-What!?" Lucy squeaked, as her entire face burned bright red. Her palms immediately began to sweat under Mirajane's gaze.

"Do you love Natsu?" Mirajane repeated, causing Lucy to squeak again.

"W-Why would you want to k-know if I l-love Natsu?" Lucy stuttered, as she felt her face heat up.

"Because...I love him." Mirajane answered with a faint blush, causing Lucy's eyes to widen. "And I know Erza most likely loves him too. If love you him too, I think I may have found a way for all of us to be happy."

"H-Huh?" Lucy said in a confused tone. "W-What are you talking about?"

"I think I've found a way for all three of us to be happy with Natsu, but first I need to know if you love him or not." Mirajane explained, as she tapped the book on the table.

"W-Well I t-think I-I l-like..." Lucy stopped when she saw the disappointed look on Mirajane's face. "No, damn it I don't like him, I love him. I'm tired of dancing around my feelings, I love Natsu Dragneel." Lucy's voice was full of sincerity and conviction, and it caused Mirajane to smile.

"Good, that's what I wanted to hear." Mirajane said, flipping through the book. Finding the right page, Mirajane handed it back to Lucy. "Here read this." Lucy took the book, and once again began to read it.

"Dragon mating and its relation to dragon slayers?" Lucy read the title of the chapter, and looked at Mirajane.

"That book explains how most dragons generally take on one...mate." Mirajane said, as her blush deepened at the mention of the word mate. "This trait is passed onto dragon slayers as well. So a dragon slayer taught by a normal dragon, will only have one mate in their whole life. They cannot and will not love any other person, besides their mate."

"I don't see how that's going to help all three of us." Lucy said in a confused tone, as she flipped another page. She stopped when she saw the the title of next section of the chapter. "Dragon kings?"

"Yes, dragon mating changes slightly when it comes to dragon kings." Mirajane explained, as Lucy began to read through the chapter. "A dragon king usually has two to three mates to ensure that his magic is passed down to another generation."

"And Natsu was raised by two dragon kings." Lucy breathed out, as her eyes widened. "So that means Natsu could have up to six potential mates."

"Exactly. It's not something Natsu can control. It's a side effect of his magic. It will drive him to claim mates, so that some of his children can learn his magic." Mirajane explained, as Lucy started to understand what was happening better. "There are some other things that book explains. It says that a dragon king usually picks a potential mate at first sight on instinct, the same applies to a dragon slayer. Once a potential mate has been chosen, the dragon does anything in its power to appease its potential mate. It will do its absolute best to keep its possible mates happy."

"Just like Natsu has been doing with us." Lucy said, as realization struck her. "You think the three of us are potential mates?"

"Yes, you've noticed the way Natsu treats us. How he does anything to make sure we're happy." Mirajane said with a smile. "I figured that if I could get you on board we could convince Erza as well. Because I honestly don't think she'd like to share Natsu."

"Well if everything I read is true, than I'm in. I'm sure it won't be too bad to share Natsu." Lucy said with a small smile. "But how are we gonna convince Erza."

"*Sigh* One of us is gonna have to mate with Natsu before she does." Mirajane replied, causing Lucy's face to heat up. "Once one of us has become Natsu's mate, Erza will be forced to either share Natsu or lose him forever."

"W-Which one of is gonna m-mate with Natsu f-first?" Lucy asked in an embarrassed tone.

"I don't know, but we need Natsu to make the first move." Mirajane explained, as she stood up from her seat. "We can't just seduce Natsu, he has to initiate this with us. So we'll just have to wait until something happens."

"How long will that take?" Lucy asked, as she stood up as well.

"I don't know, but we'll just have to be patient. Natsu isn't as ignorant towards women as he let's on." Mirajane said, as she exited the supply room. "We just have to hope he realizes his feelings for one of us."

"Okay, did that book say anything else?" Lucy asked, as they stopped in the hallway.

"Just that when Natsu mates with use, we'll get a special mark to show that he's 'claimed' us." Mirajane explained with a slight blush. "And that we should gain some of his dragon-like characteristics."

"Like what?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Our senses will become heightened like Natsu's. It won't be quite to his level, but our sense of smell and hearing will supposedly drastically improve." Mirajane explained, causing Lucy's eyes to widen.

"Wow that sounds pretty cool." Lucy said, as she placed her hand on Mirajane's shoulder. "Thanks for including me Mira-san. I don't think there's anyone else I'd rather share Natsu with than you and Erza."

"The same goes for me too, Lucy." Mirajane said with a mischievous smile. "But I doubt we'll be the only three to be with Natsu. Knowing him, he'll attract a few more girls as well."

"You're probably right." Lucy said with a chuckle.

"Well let's get back, everyone is probably wondering where we went." Mirajane said, leading Lucy back into the main guild hall.

* * *

(Magical Council; Fiore Branch)

Erza had a frown on her face, as she was lead through the magical council building. The knight stared at the floor with a look of annoyance on her face. As Erza and her escort neared the courtroom, she felt a strange presence in front of her. Looking up, Erza's eyes widened when she spotted a familiar blue-haired man.

"Siegrain!?" Erza exclaimed in a shocked tone. Her escort immediately dropped to one knee, and bowed to Siegrain.

"Long time no see Erza." Siegrain said in a smooth tone, as he pushed off the pillar he was leaning against. He looked towards Erza's escort, and gestured for him to stand. "There is no need for that, this body is only a fake." Siegrain's body began to briefly flicker. "My real body is located elsewhere." Siegrain pointed his thumb toward the large doors behind them. "Those old geezers are using fake bodies as well. They couldn't be bothered to come all the way here for such a small case."

"I see..." Erza said with a slight growl, as she glared at Siegrain. "This is all your doing. What bullshit."

"That's unexpected of you Erza...I even spoke on behalf of Fairy Tail." Siegrain said with a smirk. "But the geezers feared that they'd be held responsible for the Eisenwald incident. So they needed a scapegoat to take the blame, and picked you."

"Shut the hell up." Erza hissed, as she grit her teeth.

"Alright fine...The reason I came here before the trial started..." Siegrain leaned forward, and cupped Erza's chin. "Never tell the old geezers about _that_." Siegrain said before he whispered a few more words into Erza's ear. Erza had a blank look on her face, as Siegrain stepped back. "It's for your own good. So...I'll be seeing you in a moment behind those doors, as a member of the council." Siegrain's body flickered for a moment, before it disappeared completely.

"Y-You know someone so important?" The escort asked, as he stood back to his feet.

"He's **_evil_**." Erza said, as she glared at the doors in front of her.

"Eh?" The escort said with a confused look. "Whatever, let's get going." The escort grabbed Erza's arm and led her into the courtroom. Erza took her place at the stand before the magical council. Most of the council members seemed to have annoyed looks on their faces.

"We'll start this mage trial immidiately." Gran Doma said, as he banged his gavel. He then picked up the paper, and began to read off Erza's charges. "Defendant Erza Scarlet. Concerning the terrorist incident involving Eisenwald the other day, you are charged with destroying part of Oshibana Station, Ryushika Canyon's railway bridge, and an entire building in Clover Town." Gran Doma set the piece of paper down, and stared at Erza. "According to witness testimony...the culprit was a female mage in armor..." Suddenly the wall behind Erza exploded in a ball of flames. "What's going on?!"

"I'M THE ARMORED MAGE!" Natsu roared, as he stormed into the court room dressed in armor matching Erza's, a blue skirt, black boots, and even a red wig that didn't cover all of his pink hair. Natsu began to spew flames in random directions around the room, as he approached the stand. "ARREST ME IF YOU DARE!" Erza couldn't help but giggle, as she watched Natsu put on his little display.

_"I knew he'd do something like this." _Erza thought with a warm smile, as she gazed at Natsu.

"I'M ERZA SCARLET DAMN IT!" Natsu yelled, as smoke billowed from his mouth. "TELL ME WHAT I'M GUITLY OF!" All the council members stared at Natsu in shock, expect for Siegrain who seemed to be rather amused by the stunt. "I hope the charges are even more important than the guild masters lives!" Natsu yelled, pointing at the council members. A grin spread across the dragon slayers face, as he stood next to Erza. The entire court room lay in smoking ruins, as Gran Doma ran his hand down his face.

"Put them both in jail." Gran Doma simply said, as a pair of guards cuffed Natsu.

"We're...pfff...very sorry." Erza managed to say in a somewhat apologetic tone, as she tried to control her giggling.

"ERZA! Don't apologie to these guys!" Natsu exclaimed, before he quickly realized his mistake. "W-Wait! I mean I'm Erza" Natsu screamed, causing Erza to go into another fit of giggles.

"Let's go you two, your spending the next two days in a cell." One of the guards said, as he pushed Natsu and Erza towards the doors.

"Alright we're going." Erza said with a smile. "Come on Natsu, let's go."

"I'M ERZA!"

* * *

(2 Hours Later)

It was well into the night, and Natsu and Erza sitting across from one another in cell located in the council building. Erza had a small smile on her face, as she looked at Natsu. The dragon slayer was sitting against the wall, with his hands behind his head.

"You know my arrest was just a formality, and it was just a facade for the council to display it's authority." Erza said, causing a grain to spread across Natsu's face.

"Yeah I know." Natsu said, making Erza's eyes widen.

"If you knew, why did you pull that stunt back there?!" Erza asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Well even if it was just a facade, you don't deserve all the blame." Natsu said, as he scratched his chin. "I caused even more destruction than you, so I deserve some punishment too." A blush suddenly spread across Natsu's face, as he looked at the cell wall. "Plus I felt like you could use some company."

"Natsu, that's so sweet of you." Erza said, as she felt tears forming in her left eye. Her heart filled with joy, as her own cheeks flushed pink. "Thank you." Erza leaned forwards, and brought Natsu in for a tight hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you Natsu."

"The don't know what I'd do without you, Erza." Natsu said, as he hugged Erza back. "You're my best friend, and I'd do anything for you."

_"You would wouldn't you?" _Erza thought with a smile on her face. _"Soon Natsu, I'll tell you my feelings for you soon. I just have to wait for the right moment."_

Down the hall Siegrain watched the two Fairy Tail mages with a dark smirk on his face.

"So he was at Fairy Tail..." Siegrain said to himself quietly. "Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

**And done! Just a short intro chapter for this arc. Next chapter will really get into the Galuna Island arc, with the introduction of Mystogan, Laxus, and the actual island. So look out for the next chapter because I will have it out soon. Because I'm feeling generous I decided I'd get two more chapters out quickly after this one. So expect the next chapter soon, and the one next one shortly after. So it's now revealed why Natsu has been acting the way he has been around Lucy, Erza, and Mira, and Mira and Lucy have teamed up to get Erza to join them. So what did you guys think. Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW I NEEDS THEM, and PM me ideas for this ****story. Look out for the next chapter soon. Until next time I'm outta here.**


	11. Chapter 11 The Cursed Island

**Well I said I would have this chapter out ****quick, and here I am to deliver. This chapter will really get the Galuna Island arc under way. We'll also see the introduction of Mystogan and Laxus, so look forward to that. Thank you all for the reviews and support for last chapter, it seems likes you guys really liked that one. So with that out of the way let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

(2 Days Later)

"WE'RE BACK!" Natsu yelled, as he kicked the doors to the guild open.

"What did I say about kicking the doors open?" Erza said, as she smacked Natsu upside the head.

"Sorry Erza." Natsu said with nervous chuckle, as he rubbed his head.

"It's fine, just try not to do it again." Erza said with a smile, walking into the guild.

"Natsu! Erza!" Lucy exclaimed, as she ran up to both mages. Natsu and Erza were both surprised when Lucy pulled them in for a hug. "It's so good to have you two back!"

"It's great to be back Luce!" Natsu exclaimed with a toothy grin.

"Indeed, I'm happy to back to at the guild as well." Erza said, as she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Oh, you two are back." Mirajane said with a small smile, as she appeared from behind the bar. "I'm glad both of you are alright."

"Of course we're alright Mira, nothing could hurt us." Natsu said in a confident tone, and puffing out his chest.

"Whatever you say Natsu." Mirajane chuckled, as she walked up to the dragon slayer. "Would you two like anything to celebrate your return."

"I'll take a fire whiskey." Natsu said, as he took a seat at the bar.

"Piece of strawberry cake for me." Erza said, sitting next to Natsu.

"Coming right up!" Mirajane said cheerfully, leaving to fill the orders.

"Tch, the flame brained idiot is back." Gray chided with an annoyed look on his face. "Why couldn't they have kept you two in jail a little longer."

"Did you say something Gray?" Erza said in a emotionless tone, as she turned to glare at the ice mage.

"N-Nothing E-Erza!" Gray exclaimed, flinching under the scarlet haired woman's harsh gaze.

"Here you two go!" Mira said, placing a flaming drink in front of Natsu and large piece of strawberry cake in front of Erza.

"Thanks Mira." Both mages said simultaneously. Natsu took a large gulp of his drink, and slammed the mug back down onto the bar.

"AH! Freedom is wonderful!" Natsu yelled, as he spewed a small amount of fire. "The air is so much fresher out here! It's really the best!"

"So what happened to you two?" Lucy asked, taking a seat next to Erza.

"Nothing much." Erza answered, as she ate a forkful of cake. "The whole arrest was just a facade really. I would have been back yesterday if Natsu hadn't caused such a ruckus."

"Hey! It wasn't fair how they singled you out! I deserved some of the blame as well!" Natsu exclaimed, as he nursed his whiskey. "You shouldn't have to take the blame for my mess."

"Aw, that was really sweet of you Natsu." Lucy said with smile, causing Natsu's face to turn red in embarassment.

"What ever happened to Natsu and Erza's fight?" Elfman asked, as he turned to the mages in question. "You just kinda ended it Natsu."

"It was just a spar, Elfman. We weren't really giving it are all." Natsu explained, causing Erza to nearly choke on the cake in her mouth.

_"He wasn't going all out!?" _Erza thought, as she roughly swallowed her cake. She turned to Natsu, and stared at him with wide eyes. _"I was giving everything I had in that fight, and he beat me like he wasn't even trying. Just how strong have you gotten, Natsu?" _

"Since it was just a spar there isn't really a winner or loser." Natsu said, shrugging his shoulders. He then turned to Erza with a wicked grin on his face. "Unless you want to fight for real now, Erza!"

"Not now Natsu, I'm really tired." Erza said, as she ate another forkful of cake. _"If we fight for real the results will __likely be the same, so it's pointless right now." _

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Natsu yelled, as he pushed away from the bar and stood to his feet. "Here I come!" Natsu then swung at Erza with a flame covered fist.

"*Sigh*" Erza quickly ducked underneath Natsu's punch, and hit him with an uppercut to the jaw. The dragon slayer was sent flying back by the punch, causing Natsu to crash into a table. Erza then walked over to the dazed dragon slayer, and hauled him to him feet by his ear. "I said I don't want to fight now!"

"S-Sorry Erza." Natsu said in a defeated tone, as he rubbed his sore ear.

"Geez, looks like Erza is still stronger than your stupid ass." Gray said in an amused tone. "I guess that spar really meant nothing."

"Shut up you fucking stripper!" Natsu roared, as he butted heads with Gray. "I'll kick your ass anytime, anyplace."

"Sounds like a plan matchstick!" Gray yelled, as he grabbed Natsu's vest.

"My looks like you guys wrecked the guild again." Mirajane said with a slight chuckle.

"Hrmm." Makarov grumbled, causing Mirajane to look at him.

"What's wrong Master?" Mirajane asked, as she walked over to Makarov.

"Nothing. Just getting a little sleepy is all." Makarov replied, as he slouched over slightly. "It's him." One by one all around the guild, the Fairy Tail mages began to fall asleep where they stood.

"This has to be..." Gray mumbled before he fell over, fast asleep.

_"I will see him! I'm stronger than I was before! I'm not gonna fall asleep!" _Natsu thought, as he fought to stay awake. The dragon slayer was struggling to keep his eyes open, as he used a table to hold himself upright. Suddenly the doors to the guild creaked open, and a cloaked figure entered the guild. The cloaked man slowly walked through the guild, being careful to walk around the sleeping mages. The man stopped momentarily to look at Natsu, he seemed slightly surprised that the dragon slayer was still awake, just barely. Natsu's eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of the man's face. He could have sworn he spotted a familiar red tattoo, and a few locks of blue hair.

"I'm impressed you're still awake Natsu." The man said in a deep voice, the mask he was wearing muffled his voice.

"S-Show me yur farce." Natsu stumbled over his words, as he tried to stay awake. The dragon slayer narrowed his eyes at the man before him.

"In due time Natsu." The man said, as he continued walking past the dragon slayer. Suddenly the masked man stopped, and turned to Natsu once more. "Oh, I heard about your little match with Erza. I must say I'm rather impressed, maybe we can spar some time in the future."

"S-Shuuure thiang!" Natsu managed to say, as he forced a lazy grin on his face. _"That...that can't be who I think it is." _Natsu thought, as he watched the man scan over the request board. The cloaked man grabbed a request, and made his way over towards Makarov. _"That can't be Jellal, can it? I'm sure I would have recognized his scent. Plus I don't think Jellal can use magic. I will find out who you are Mystogan." _

"I'm taking this mission." Mystogan said, as he showed Makarov the request. "I'm leaving now."

"A-At least undo your sleeping magic!" Makarov exclaimed groggily, as his eyes began to droop.

"Five. Four. Three..." Mystogan began to countdown, making his way towards the guild's doors. He spared Natsu one last glance, as he passed the dragon slayer. Mystogan nodded at Natsu before he continued walking. "...Two. One." As soon as the countdown finished Mystogan was gone without a trace. Moments after Mystogan vanished, his sleep magic wore off. One by one the members of Fairy Tail began to awake from their abrupt slumber.

"Th-That must have be Mystogan." Erza groaned out, as she hoisted herself off the ground.

"What punk!" Gray exclaimed, as he rubbed his head.

"Who's Mystogan?" Lucy asked, as she rubbed her eyes.

"He's a candidate for Fairy Tail's strongest mage." Loke said, adjusting his glasses.

"For some reason he hates being seen." Gray explained, as he walked over to Lucy. "So whenever he comes to take a job, he put everyone to sleep." Lucy nodded, and turned her head to look at Natsu. The dragon slayer had thoughtful expression on his face, as he stared at the doors Mystogan walked through.

"Well that sounds kinda fishy to me." Lucy said, as she placed her hands on her hips.

"That's why only the master has seen Mystogan's face." Gray said, causing Lucy to raise an eyebrow. Before Lucy could say anything, a new voice echoed out through the guild hall.

"No..." The new voice said in a smug tone. "I know his face as well." Everyone turned to see a large blonde-haired man standing on the second floor. The man had a cigar hanging from his mouth, and a smirk plastered on his face. "And it seems Natsu may have caught a glimpse as well."

"Laxus?!" Several guild members exclaimed in shock.

"How unusual!"

"He's never here!"

"What did he say about Natsu?!"

"He's also a candidate for Fairy Tail's strongest." Gray said, turning to look at Lucy.

"Mystogan is very shy. Don't question it too much." Laxus said, as he rested his head on his hand.

"Laxus!" Natsu growled in a low tone, as sparks danced around his body. "FIGHT ME!"

"Hmm, I heard about your little fight with Erza." Laxus said with a smug look, as he gazed down at Natsu. "I must say that I'm surprised that you managed to beat her. But don't think you can come and challenge me just because you beat a weakling like her."

"What did you say?" Natsu in a dark tone, as a vein throbbed on his forehead. His eyes were full of fury, as he glared up at Laxus. "It's one thing to insult me. But it's another when you insult one of my nakama, especially Erza." Lightning exploded off Natsu's body, causing several guild members to jump back. "You will fight me, and I will beat you into the ground for insulting Erza's strength."

_"Natsu." _Erza thought, as she stared at the dragon slayer. The knight could literally feel the hatred rolling off Natsu, as he glared at Laxus. Erza was slightly worried that Natsu might end up getting hurt. But she was mostly taken aback by how enraged Natsu became after Laxus insulted her.

"Oh? Someone's a little upset." Laxus taunted with a smug look. "I'm the strongest mage in this guild, you don't stand a chance against me."

"Why don't you come down here and test that theory!" Natsu exclaimed, as he clenched his fists.

"Why don't you come up here?" Laxus said, as he gestured to the second floor.

"Fine, you son of a bitch." Natsu snarled, as he raced towards Laxus. Just as Natsu was about to leap up to the second floor; Makarov's enlarged hand shot out, and slammed Natsu back down to the ground.

"You can't go up to the second floor...yet." Makarov said, as he released Natsu.

"Ha! Getting scolded like a little brat, and you thought you could take me on!" Laxus jeered, as he leaned over the railing.

"You too Laxus, stop it." Makarov said, as he turned his gaze to Laxus.

"I'll never give up the position of Fairy Tail's strongest mage to anyone." Laxus said, as he gazed down at all the mages watching him. "Not to Erza, Mystogan, Gildarts, and especially not to you Natsu. I'm the strongest!"

"Not for long." Natsu said under his breath, as he watched Laxus walk away from the railing.

* * *

(2 Hours Later)

"Mira-san, what was Master talking about earlier? Why couldn't Natsu go up to the second floor?" Lucy asked, as Mira severed her a drink.

"You're not ready for what's up on the second floor yet, Lucy." Mirajane explained, as she pointed up to the second floor. "But the request board on the second floor has far more difficult jobs posted on it. They're S-class jobs."

"S-class?!" Lucy exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"S-class missions are so dangerous, even the slightest mistake can lead to your death. But in return the pay is outstanding." Mirajane explained with a smile, as she cleaned a beer mug. "Only mages approved by Master can take S-class jobs. There are currently only five S-class mages including Erza, Mystogan, and Laxus." Mirajane put the mug down, and leaned forward towards Lucy. "You shouldn't aim to be S-class anyways, Lucy. You'll run out of lives way too quickly on those jobs."

"Aren't you an S-class mage?" Lucy asked, causing a sad smile to spread across Mirajane's face.

"I'm guessing Natsu told you that." Mira said with a dry chuckle. "I was an S-class mage, but after Lisanna...died...I kinda just gave up on being an active mage. But I guess I'm technically still an S-class mage."

"Do you ever miss being a mage?" Lucy questioned, taking a sip of her drink.

"Sometimes. It would be great to go on missions with Natsu and Erza." Mirajane said with a wistful look. "But I do enjoy tending the bar here. It let's me gossip with everyone, and it makes me happy."

"That's great then." Lucy said with a smile, as she stood from the bar. "Well I'm heading home Mira-san." Lucy grabbed her bag, and was about to leave. But she remembered something she wanted to ask Mira."Oh, Mira-san! Have you seen Natsu? Because he kinda just disappeared a while ago?"

"He stormed out of the guild a about an hour ago." Mirajane replied, as she tapped her chin. "It probably had something to do with Laxus."

"Okay, maybe I'll see him on the way home." Lucy said, as she turned to leave.

"Remember Lucy, Natsu has to be the one to initiate things." Mirajane said, just before Lucy got too far away.

"Y-Yeah I r-remember." Lucy stuttered out, as her entire face burned bright red. Mirajane couldn't help but giggle, as she watched Lucy run out of the guild.

Lucy ran out of the guild as fast as she could, earning several glances from her fellow guild members. When Lucy was a safe distance away, she stopped running and let a deep sigh. Lucy then began to walk home, as she tried to control her raging blush. As Lucy neared her home, she began to walk on the edge of the canal in front of her home.

"I know I've heard of Mystogan and Laxus before." Lucy said, sticking her arms out to help her balance. "Fairy Tail is full of powerful mages."

"Please be careful miss." A boater called out, as he sailed down the canal.

"I'll just have to work harder starting tomorrow, so that I can become one of Fairy Tail's strongest mages!" Lucy cheered, as she ascended the stairs to her apartment. As Lucy reached for the doorknob, she could faintly hear movement in her apartment. "I bet it's Natsu." But when Lucy opened her door, her jaw nearly hit the floor. Splayed out on the floor in front of her was Natsu. The pink-haired dragon slayer was missing his vest, as he rapidly did crunches. Lucy couldn't stop herself from watching the sweat roll down Natsu's toned chest. The blonde could swear she was drooling, as another massive blush spread across her face.

_"Fuck letting him start things, I might just jump him right now." _Lucy thought, as her head filled with images of her and Natsu doing dozens of sexual deeds. Quickly shaking her head, Lucy forced those thoughts out of her mind. _"No! Bad Lucy! Remember what Mira-san said! If we want Erza to join use, I have to let Natsu make the first move. Damn it Natsu, why do you have to be so tempting?!" _Lucy's eyes widened when she saw Natsu look at her. _"Shit! Shit! Shit! He's looking right at me! What do I do!?...I know, I'll act pissed like usual!" _

"Welcome back." Natsu said mid-crunch.

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, as he lifted a dumbbell.

"Your sweat stinks!" Lucy screamed, as she jumped on Natsu's chest. The blonde inhaled through her nose, and a shiver ran down her spine. _"Oh God it smells so manly and erotic!" _Lucy hopped off Natsu, and pointed angrily towards her door. "Go exercise at your own home!"

"What are you talking about? We're a team." Natsu said with a toothy grin, as he grabbed a pink dumbbell. "This is for you."

"You like pink, right?" Happy asked, jumping into the air.

"What am I gonna do with dumbbells?!" Lucy yelled, keeping up her false anger.

"I have to get stronger so that I can beat Laxus." Natsu said, as he dropped to the ground and began to do one armed pushups. Lucy bit her lips, as she watched Natsu's back muscles flexing. Fighting back a moan, Lucy turned her back to Natsu.

"P-Please just go home." Lucy managed to say, as her entire face turned red.

"We're gonna stay here and train all night." Happy said, while doing his own pushups.

"I've made a decision, Luce." Natsu said, as he stopped mid-pushup. Lucy turned around, and gave the pink-haired dragon slayer a confused look. Natsu looked up at Lucy with a large smirk on his face. "We're doing and S-class job!" Lucy's eyes bulged when she saw Happy hold up an S-class request form.

"How the fuck did you get that?!" Lucy screamed in a panicked tone, as he eyes bugged out. "We're not supposed to be on the second floor!"

"I just took it." Happy said, looking at the request.

"You thieving cat!" Lucy yelled, as she tried to snatch the request, but Happy quickly flew out of her reach.

"Since it's our first job from the second floor, I choose the cheapest one." Natsu said, putting his vest back on, much to Lucy disappointment. "It's still 7 million jewels though."

"NO! We're not qualified to take on S-class missions." Lucy argued, crossing her arms under her chest.

"But if we succeed Jii-chan will defiantely approve us, right?" Natsu asked with a wide grin.

"Jeez, you're so reckless." Lucy said with a sigh, as she sat down at her writing desk. "At least follow the rules of your own guild."

"But then we'll never be to go up to the second floor." Natsu said, as he walked over to Lucy.

"Whatever; I'm not going." Lucy said, resting her head on her hand. "You two can go."

"But it say 'save our island' on the request." Happy said, pointing to the writing on the request form.

"Come Luce let's go! We're a team right?" Natsu said with a smile, as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Island?" Lucy parroted, raising an eyebrow.

"It's the cursed Galuna Island." Happy said in a spooky tone.

"Yeah fuck that, I'm defiantely not going now." Lucy said, as she leaned back in her chair.

"But Luce there's another reward." Natsu said, gaining Lucy's interest. The dragon slayer grabbed the request form from Happy, and showed it to Lucy again. "The other reward is one of those gold keys you've been looking for." A smirk spread across Natsu's face when he saw Lucy's eyes light up. _"Got her now." __  
_

"I'M IN!" Lucy cheered, as she jumped out of her seat.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Natsu exclaimed, as he high-fived Lucy. "Let's get going."

"What about Erza?" Lucy asked, causing Natsu to stop dead in his tracks.

"Heheh, I kinda didn't tell Erza." Natsu said sheepishly, as he scratched his chin. "We're doing this job without her, because she'd never let me go."

"What?!" Lucy yelled, but before she could argue Natsu had already jumped out her window. "USE THE DAMN DOOR!" The blonde celestial spirit mage grumbled to herself, as she quickly followed after the dragon slayer.

* * *

(The Next Day at Fairy Tail)

"OH NO!" Mirajane yelled, as she raced down the stairs. "Master! One of the requests on the second floor is missing!" Makarov spit out the beer was drinking when he heard this.

"Oh that." Laxus said with a small smirk, as he leaned back in his chair. "A few hours ago I saw a blue cat stealing one of the requests...I'm pretty sure the cat had wings."

"Happy?!" Mirajane exclaimed with a worried look.

"That means Natsu and Lucy were likely involved as well." Alzack said with a frown. "What're they thinking."

"I knew they were stupid, but not that stupid." Bisca said, as she adjusted her cowboy hat.

"They broke a principal rule of this guild." Laxus said, taking a puff from his cigar. "Hey old man! When they return they'll get expelled right? But I doubt they'll come back alive from an S-class job with their pathetic skills." Laxus laughed loudly, but he stopped when someone slammed their hands on the table he was sitting at. Looking up Laxus was surprised to see Mirajane glaring at him. Her eyes were full of anger, as her fists clenched.

"LAXUS! If you knew about this, why didn't you stop them?!" Mirajane yelled in an angry tone.

"I just thought it was a thieving cat, running off with a piece of paper in it's mouth." Laxus replied with an evil smirk. "I had no idea it was Happy, and that Natsu would run off with an S-class job." Everyone's eyes widened when the table Laxus was sitting at suddenly exploded into a pile of splinters. Laxus smirked, as he looked up at Mirajane. The white-haired barmaid held a fierce glare, as a dark aura surrounded her. Laxus laughed, as he blew out a cloud of smoke. "Oh? It's been awhile since I saw that face from you Mira."

"You better pray Natsu, Lucy, and Happy make it back alright, or I will destroy you." Mirajane said in a dark tone, as her eyes narrowed.

"This is bad indeed...Which job is missing?" Makarov asked, as he turned to look at Mirajane.

"The Cursed Galuna Island job." Mirajane answered, causing Makarov's eyes to widen.

"The Island of Demons!?" Makarov exclaimed, earning a collective gasp from the guild. "Laxus, bring them back!"

"Don't be stupid...I have another job to do." Laxus said, as he stood up from his seat. "They can take care of themselves, right?"

"Who else but you can force Natsu back?!" Markov shouted, causing Laxus to laugh.

"What aboout Ersha?" Cana drunkenly suggested.

"She's not here right now." Mirajane said, as she continued to glare at Laxus.

"Jii-san that's an unforgivable insult." Gray said, as he pushed out his chair. "I'll bring Lucy and that flame brained idiot back"

* * *

(5 Hours Later; Port of Hargeon)

"It's been a while since we've been here!" Lucy exclaimed, as she scanned around the town. "This is where reunited, right?"

"_Haven't been here for a while_...we were just here like two weeks ago Luce." Natsu said with a deadpanned look.

"Alright first we have to find a ship that can take us to Galuna Island." Lucy said, as she started to walk towards the docks. But the blonde squeaked in surprise when Natsu suddenly grabbed her shoulders.

"A ship!? Can't we just swim there?!" Natsu pleaded, earning a sigh from Lucy.

"Natsu that's not happening." Lucy said, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know how to help you with your motion sickness, so why is this a problem?"

"Well I didn't want you to have to do that." Natsu said, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Just shut up, and help me find us a boat." Lucy said, as she quickly turned her head to hide her slight blush. After asking almost a dozen sailors, Natsu and Lucy still didn't have a ride to Galuna Island. Deciding to try one more time the duo approached another sailor. Lucy tapped the mustached man's shoulder, gaining his attention. "Excuse us sir, but could you give us a ride to Galuna Island?"

"Galuna Island?" The man parroted, scratching his chin. "I don't know what you think you'll find there, but no sailor wants to go near there. Even pirates avoid that place."

"Damn it." Lucy cursed, as she slumped against a nearby wall.

"I guess we're swimming then." Natsu said with a smile, as he patted Lucy's back.

"Swim? That's suicide, unless you're not afraid of giant sharks." The sailor said, turning back to the Fairy Tail mages.

"Damn straight I'm not afraid! I'll fry those stupid sharks!" Natsu exclaimed, as he shook his fist.

"You can't use fire while in water." Lucy said with a sweatdrop. Natsu was about to argue, but Lucy stopped him. "If you use your lightning you'll electrocute me as well, so don't even think about it. *Sigh* What do we do now?"

"Found ya." A voice said from behind Natsu and Lucy, causing them to jump. They both whirled around to see Gray standing behind them.

"Gray?!" Lucy exclaimed, surprised to see the ice mage.

"What are you doing here?!" Natsu yelled in an annoyed tone.

"Master ordered me to bring you two back." Gray said, leaning towards Natsu.

"What!? He already found out!?" Natsu exclaimed wide-eyed.

"If you come back now, you might avoid expulsion." Gray said with a small smirk.

"E-Expulsion." Lucy said, fear evident in her tone.

"I don't care! I'm gonna do this S-class job!" Natsu growled, as he glared at Gray.

"It's called S-class for a reason, dumbass!" Gray exclaimed, trying to persuade the stubborn dragon slayer. "What will you do when Erza finds out?"

"She'll come here and try to drag us back." Natsu replied, causing Gray to raise an eyebrow. "But one of the reasons I'm doing this mission is because of her."

"What are you talking about, Natsu?" Lucy asked, placing her hand on Natsu' shoulder.

"I know Erza wouldn't approve of me doing this, and I know she'll worry about me..." Natsu clenched his teeth, as he tried to reel in his anger. "But that bastard Laxus insulted her, and I won't stand for that. I need to show Laxus that I'm strong enough to fight him. If being S-class will convince him to fight me, then I'm finishing this mission."

"Natsu." Lucy whispered in shock. She knew that Natsu and Erza were extremely close, but she had no idea he'd be willing to risk his life just to defend Erza's honor. _"He's the most caring person I've ever met." _

"Well it's the Master's orders! I'm bringing you two back!" Gray exclaimed, as ice began to form in his hands. "Don't bitch about it if you get hurt!"

"You wanna fight?!" Natsu yelled, as flames burst of his hands.

"H-Hey, you two calm down!" Lucy exclaimed, trying to defuse the situation.

"Magic?" The sailor from earlier said, as his eyes widened. "You guys are mages? Are you here to stop the curse?"

"Yeah!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin.

"Y-Yeah we're here to help. _Even though I'm not too confident anymore._" Lucy said the last part under her breath.

"Great! Then everyone hop in." The sailor said, as he stepped onto his boat.

"I won't let you go!" Gray yelled, as he glared at Natsu. The dragon slayer merely grinned, and hit Gray with a surprise roundhouse kick to the face. The ice mage was instantly rendered unconscious. Natsu then grabbed Gray off the ground, and tossed him onto the boat.

"Wait, why are you bringing Gray?" Lucy asked in a confused tone.

"If he goes back to the guild he'll bring Erza, and others to bring us back." Natsu explained, as he leaned Gray against the side of the boat. "Sailor man! Take us to Galuna Island!" The man nodded, and pushed the boat off the dock. The second the boat started moving, Natsu was hanging over the side of the boat, trying to not vomit.

"God your hopeless." Lucy said with a chuckle, hoisting Natsu onto her lap. The pink-haired dragon slayer released a content sigh, as he felt Lucy's fingers beginning to comb through his hair.

"Is he be alright?" The sailor asked, confused by Natsu's sudden motion sickness.

"Aye sir! Natsu is always like this!" Happy cheered, causing everyone to sweatdrop.

* * *

(15 Minutes Later)

"Ugh, what the fuck happened?" Gray groaned, as he slowly shook his head. But when he tried to raise his arms, he found that he couldn't move them. Eyes shooting open, Gray saw that he was tied up. "What the shit!?"

"H-Hey Gray." Lucy said, as she awkwardly waved at the ice mage.

"Lucy untie me!" Gray yelled, as he struggled against his bindings.

"Not until we get to the island." Lucy said, as she continued to comfort Natsu. Turning to look at the island in front of them, a sudden chill ran down Lucy's spine. "I'm getting this creeping feeling of anxiety."

"You dragged me along, and now you're talking like that?" Gray growled, as he once again struggled against the ropes tying him up. After a few moments Gray gave up, and turned to the sailor steering the boat. "Hey old man, why did you let us on this boat anyways?"

"My name is Bobo, I once lived on Galuna Island." The newly named Bobo replied, causing Lucy's eyes to widen. "But I managed to escape from that cursed place."

"What kind of curse is it?" Happy asked, looking away from the school of fish he had been drooling over.

"Misfortune falls upon all those who step foot on Galuna Island." Bobo replied, as he gazed at the island they were approaching. "Can you guys really rid this island of its curse?" Bobo pulled down his sleeve, revealing a deformed looking arm. "This demonic curse." Both Gray and Lucy's eyes widened at the sight of the demonic arm.

"That arm." Gray said, as he slowly backed away from Bobo.

"The curse...you mean it..." Lucy tried to speak, as she stared at Bobo's demonic arm.

"There it is." Bobo said, as he pointed to the island in from of them. "Galuna Island." Gray, Lucy, and Happy moved to the front of the ship to get a good look at the island.

"Hey...sir." Lucy started to say, but when she turned around Bobo was nowhere to be found. "H-Huh? Where is he?"

"Did he fall in the water?" Gray asked, as he looked over the boat's side. Happy quickly dove into the water, and began to search for Bobo. But after about a minute Happy resurfaced.

"I don't think he's down there." Happy said, beginning to swim back to the boat.

"What?! What's going on?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she began to pull on her hair. As Lucy was freaking out, Natsu's ears perked up at a sudden sound.

"G-Guys, what's that noise?" Natsu managed to say through his motion sickness. Gray and Lucy turned around, and gasped when they saw a massive tidal wave surging towards them.

"SHIT! IT'S A TIDAL WAVE!" Gray screamed, as he frantically tried to break the ropes around his arms. "Hey, hurry up and untie me! I'm gonna die!"

"We're getting sucked in!" Lucy yelled, as the boat started moving towards the tidal wave. "Happy! Try to lift the boat up!"

"That's impossible!" Happy exclaimed, the wave sucking him up as well.

The massive tidal wave sucked up the boat and Happy. Lucy closed her eyes and held Natsu tightly, as the tidal wave raced towards the island. With a loud crash the tidal wave smashed into the island, scattering the Fairy Tail mages across the beach and knocking them unconscious in the process. Twenty minutes after their rough landing on the beach, Lucy slowly regained consciousness.

"This is..." Lucy scanned her surroundings, and saw Natsu, Gray, and Happy lying next to the destroyed remains of their boat. "Are you guys okay?!"

"Whoa! Are we on Galuna Island!?" Natsu exclaimed, as he jumped to his feet.

"I guess the tidal wave washed us ashore." Lucy said, as she walked over to the other mages. "What happened anyway? That arm...the demonic curse?" Lucy rubbed her chin, as she tried to make sense of the situation. "And then that old man just disappeared."

"Don't worry Luce! Let's explore!" Natsu cheered, as he began to walk off into the nearby jungle.

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed, quickly following after Natsu.

"Natsu, we're here on a job, so you should be a little more concerned." Lucy explained, as she grabbed Natsu's arm. "There's supposed to be a village on this island. The mayor there is our client. We should go there first."

"Wait." Gray said, as he slowly got to his feet.

"Oh come on! We've come this far; you aren't taking us back!" Natsu yelled, as he glared at Gray.

"No." Gray said, as he dusted off his jacket. "I'm coming with you guys." Natsu and Lucy's eyes widened at this revelation. "It'd piss me off if you two got to the second floor before I did...And if you two got expelled the guild would get rather boring." A grin spread across Natsu and Lucy's faces, as they high-fived. "Let's go."

"Yeah!" Lucy, Natsu, and Happy cheered, before they began to make their way towards the village on the island. After searching around, the Fairy Tail mages finally stumbled upon a massive wooden fence. Stepping closer, they spotted a sigh that read 'KEEP OUT' on the gates.

"Keep out...what kind of village is this?" Gray asked with a frown.

"Excuse us!" Lucy yelled, as she knocked on the gate. "Could you please open the gate?!"

"Tch, let's just break it down." Natsu suggested, earning him a smack upside the head from Lucy.

"Can you not think about blowing things up for five minutes!" Lucy scolded, earning a pout from the dragon slayer. Suddenly two men appeared on the gate above the Fairy Tail mages.

"Who's there?" One of the men asked, looking down at the small group.

"We're mages from Fairy Tail." Lucy replied, gesturing to the rest of the group. "We saw your request, and came here to help."

"Fairy Tail?" The man parroted in a confused tone. "We didn't anything about you accepting our request."

"I think there was some confusion." Gray said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "If we can't get in we'll just leave."

"I'm not leaving." Natsu hissed at the ice mage.

"Shut up." Gray whispered, as he elbowed Natsu in the stomach.

"Show me your guild marks." The man said, narrowing his eyes. The Fairy Tail mages all showed the man their guild marks. The man nodded and turned to the other guard that was with him. "Their marks look real."

"Strip the girl." The other guard said, causing a tic mark to form on Natsu's head.

"That's not happening!" Natsu yelled, as he stepped in front of Lucy. The dragon slayer growled, as he glared at the gate guard. "I'd advise you keep your mouth shut."

"I'm sorry about him, he just got carried away." The first guard said, as he pushed the other man out of the way. He quickly pulled a lever, and the gate began to open. "Get in...I'll go and get the Chief." Fives minutes later the Fairy Tail mages were standing in the middle of the village. The entire village seemed to be gathered around the mages. All of the villagers were wearing robes, concealing their appearance.

"Thank you all for coming here, mages. I am Moka, chief of this village." Moka said, as he approached the mages. "I apologize if this seems sudden, but you must see something." Everyone take off your robes." All of the villagers slowly stripped off their robes. Lucy gulped when she saw that each of the villagers had various demonic body parts.

"I knew it." Gray said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Does this not surprise you?" Moka said, showing off his own demonic arm. "Everyone on this island...even the dogs and birds, are affected by this curse."

"I'm questioning you, but what makes you think there's a curse on this island?" Gray asked the village chief. "Couldn't it just be some type of disease?"

"I've this to many doctors..." Moka replied, holding up his demonic arm. "But they all said there's no such disease...Also the moon's magical power has something to do with how we look."

"Moon's magical power?" Lucy repeated with a confused look.

"Ever since ancient times, this island has accumulated moonlight. This made the island so beautiful that it shined like the moon." Moka explained, as he glanced up at the Moon overhead. "But a few years ago, the moonlight started to turn purple."

"Purple? I've never seen anything like that." Natsu said, as he scratched his head.

"People from the mainland all say that...but the moon did purple on this island...after the purple moon showed up our bodies started to change." Moka explained, just as Happy looked up into the sky. The blue cat gasped when he saw the Moon.

"Guys! The Moon is up!" Happy exclaimed, as he pointed at the Moon in the night sky.

"It's true...it's purple." Lucy said with a slight gasp.

"Man that's creepy." Gray said, the Moon's appearance sending a chill down his spine.

"This is the curse of the Moon's magical power." Moka said before he gasped in pain. Soon all the villagers around the Fairy Tail mages began to howl in pain, as their bodies began to change.

"What's going on?!" Natsu yelled, as he watched the villager's bodies beginning to change. A few moments everything began to die down. Now instead of having single body parts being demonic, all the villagers fully turned into demons.

"Sorry if we scared you." Moka said in an apologetic tone. "When the purple moon comes out...our bodies into these ugly demons." Natsu had a sympathetic look, as he watched several of the villagers break down into tears. "Once it becomes morning everyone will change back to their original forms...but recently...there were some people who didn't change back and they lost their souls."

"That can't be." Lucy said in a shocked tone.

"We decided to kill anyone who'd lost their soul and turned into a real demon." Moka explained, causing Natsu to clench his fists in anger.

"You killed them, even when there's a chance they might change back to their original form!?" Natsu yelled, anger evident in his eyes.

"If we'd let them live, others might have been killed by those demons..." Moka replied, as he lowered his gaze to the ground. "And even if we locked them up, they'd just break out and escape." Moka reached and pulled a picture out of his pocket. A tear fell from Moka's eye when he showed the picture to the Fairy Tail mages. "T-That's why...I had to kill my own son as well. My son, whose soul became evil."

"He...but...yesterday..." Lucy said in a shocked tone, as she stared at the photo. The picture was of Bobo, the sailor who had brought them to the island. "We..." Before Lucy could say anymore Gray stopped her.

"Shhh!" Gray said, silencing Lucy immidiately. He then turned to the blonde and spoke to her in a quiet tone. "I guess we know why he just vanished now. Hopefully he can rest in peace now."

_"H-He was a g-ghost?!" _Lucy thought, as goosebumps formed all over her body.

"I acknowledge that you all as famous mages. Please save our island." Moka begged, bowing to the Fairy Tail mages. "If this goes on much longer...everyone will lose their souls...and turn into demons..."

"I won't let that happen!" Natsu exclaimed, his voice full of determination. "We'll save you guys and this island!"

"There is only one way to remove this curse..." Moka explained, pointing towards the Moon. "Please destroy the moon."

"What!?" Gray and Lucy yelled in shock.

"I like the sound of that!" Natsu cheered, punching a flaming fist into his palm.

* * *

**And done! This chapter marks the end of the intro for the Galuna Island arc. The next few chapters will be longer, and and get to the real meaty parts of the Galuna Island arc. Like I promised the next chapter should be out quick as well, but the one after that you'll have to wait for. So what did you guys think? Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW, and PM ideas for this fic. So until next time I'm outta here.**


	12. Chapter 12 Moon Drip

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter here. Sadly this will be the last of the quick release chapters. The next one you'll have to wait a little bit for. This chapter will really get the Galuna Island arc underway, now that the Fairy Tail mages have finally arrived on the island. This chapter will also be longer than the past few chapters, so look forward to that. We're almost a 550 followers, and almost at 250 review, which is amazing. Keep up the amazing support, you guys are awesome. So with that out of the way, let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

_**"Singing"**_ **(Only for Lyra's scene)**

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters, they all belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

(15 Minutes After Meeting With the Village Chief)

"Hrmm, the more I look at the moon, the creepier it gets." Happy said, as he stared at the bright purple moon; through a window in the hut that the Fairy Tail mages were staying in.

"Happy, close that damn window. Didn't you hear what the chief said?" Lucy asked, beginning to unpack her bag.

"No, what did he say?" Happy asked, as he shut the window.

"If we get exposed to too much of that moonlight, we'll turn into demons as well." Lucy explained, as Happy jumped down from the windowsill.

"That's really annoying." Natsu complained, slouching in his chair.

"No way we could destroy a moon." Gray said with a frown, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah." Lucy said, as she turned to look at Natsu. "Don't go getting any ideas Natsu."

"I wonder how many punches it'd take to destroy the Moon?" Natsu pondered, as he rubbed his chin.

"You're seriously considering that!?" Gray exclaimed in a surprised tone. The ice mage sighed, and ran his hand down his face. "It's impossible to destroy the Moon, dumbass."

"I hate to say it...but Gray's right, Natsu. "No mage could do something like that." Lucy admitted, as she took a seat across from Natsu.

"But 'destroy the Moon' is our request this time." Natsu argued, causing Gray to groan in annoyance. "If we can't do it, that'd be a disgrace to Fairy Tail, and I'll be damned if I let our guild's reputation be tarnished."

"Whatever, impossible is still impossible!" Gray exclaimed in an exasperated tone. "How would you even get to the moon?!"

"Happy." Natsu simply answered, as he pointed towards the ceiling.

"I can't do that." Happy said, causing Natsu to slouch even deeper into his seat.

"This 'destroy the Moon' thing, it comes from the victim's point of view." Lucy said, crossing her arms under her chest. "There should be another way to break the curse."

"I sure hope there is." Gray said, as he stifled a yawn.

"Fine! Tomorrow we'll explore the island!" Natsu groaned, plopping down onto his mat on the floor. "Let's just get some sleep!"

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed, jumping onto his own mat.

"We'll worry about it tomorrow." Gray said in a tired tone, as his head hit his pillow.

"Yeah...*Yawn* I'm pretty tired too." Lucy said, rubbing her eyes. "Good night guys." Lucy laid down on her mat in between Gray and Natsu. But right before Lucy fell asleep, she glanced over at Gray. The ice mage was lying down to her right, and Lucy could tell that the dark-haired man was sleeping in the nude. Scooting away from Gray, Lucy snuggled up next to Natsu. Immediately Lucy could feel the warmth that Natsu was giving off, and it was quickly putting her to sleep. To Lucy's shock, moments after she moved closer to the dragon slayer, she felt his hand drape around her waist.

"Lucy." Natsu said, letting out a content sigh as he pulled Lucy closer. The blonde's face turned fluorescent red when she felt Natsu bury his nose into her hair and inhale deeply. After a few seconds the pink-haired dragon slayer let out a slight moan, before he rested his head in the crook of Lucy's neck. Turning her head slightly, Lucy saw that the dragon slayer was fast asleep.

_"He's asleep?" _Lucy thought, as she let out a sigh of relief. The blonde's heart was beating frantically, and her mind was racing. She wanted nothing more than to wake Natsu, and confess her feelings before him. But then Mira's words rang through her head, and she stopped any thoughts of confessing to the dragon slayer. She would just have to be patient, and if Natsu's actions were any indication she wouldn't have to wait very long. _"Well this is better than nothing." _Lucy thought, as she fell asleep in Natsu's arms.

* * *

(The Next Morning; 7:30 a.m.)

"God damn, it's too early in the morning!" Natsu and Gray whined, as they trudged behind Lucy.

"Well I slept great, and I'm ready to get going." Lucy said with a slight blush. Lucy groaned when she saw Happy fast asleep on top of a nearby box. "Wake up cat!"

"AYE SIR!" Happy yelled in shock, as he jumped into the air. The blue cat then sleepily flew over to Natsu's shoulder. "Natsuuuu, Lucy's being mean."

"Please stop whining buddy, it's way too early in the morning." Natsu groaned, rubbing his temples. Happy grumbled, and crossed his paws over his chest. After walking through the village, the Fairy Tail mages made it to the village's front gate.

"You're all up early." The gate guard said, raising an eyebrow. "Were you not able to sleep because you were surrounded by demons?"

"No we all slept fine, so don't worry about it." Lucy said with a smile, waving dismissively. "We actually want to investigate the island a little bit before we destroy the Moon. So could you please open the gate?"

"What?!" Natsu questioned in an excited tone. "We're gonna destroy the Moon after all?!" Before the dragon slayer could say anymore, Lucy slapped her hand over his mouth. The gate guard gave the mages a confused look before he pulled a lever to open the gate.

"Go on ahead." The guard said, as the gate began to open. "But please be careful...in the forest there is..." The guard tried to warn the mages, but when he looked down he saw that they were already gone. "Oh, they're gone already."

Lucy quickly led Natsu out of the village, with Gray following closely behind. Once they were a safe distance away, Lucy took her hand away from Natsu's mouth. The dragon slayer immidiately gave the celestial spirit mage an annoyed look.

"What the hell is going on?!" Natsu exclaimed, as he stomped his foot. "Yesterday you insisted that it's impossible to destroy the Moon!"

"It _**is**_ impossible." Lucy explained calmly, gaining the Natsu's interest. "I just said that in front of the townspeople, so that they think we're going along with their plan."

"Even if we **_could _**destroy the Moon, we wouldn't. Because we then we wouldn't be able to enjoy the Moon anymore." Gray said, causing Natsu to nod and cross his arms over his chest.

"Oh yeah. We wouldn't be able to enjoy the limited time Fairy Tail special: Moon Viewing Steaks!" Natsu exclaimed, as his mouth began to water. "Mira always makes them just right."

"And I couldn't live without my Moon Viewing Salty!" Happy cheered, beginning to envision his delicious fish already.

"Hey guys, can you tone it down a little? We never know what's surrounding us...She says." When Gray and Natsu turn around they were surprised to see Lucy sitting inside Horologium.

"Why aren't you walking on your own Luce?" Natsu said, crouching in front of Horologium.

"I'm not sure you're using your celestial spirits the right way." Gray said with a sweatdrop.

"O-Our opponent is a 'curse' this t-time. Something unsubstantial and creepy...she says." Horologium said, as Lucy clenched her teeth.

"Don't worry Luce!" Natsu said with a toothy grin, patting Horologium's side. "If anything attacks us, I'll kick its ass and keep you safe." Lucy cheeks turned slightly pink, but she still managed to nod her head. "Alright!" Natsu shot to his feet, and began to walk into the jungle. "S-class quest! I'm all fired up!"

"I'll just freeze this stupid curse. So don't freak out." Gray said, putting his hands in his pockets as he followed behind Natsu.

"You're both being real dumb...she say." Horologium said for Lucy, as the blonde let out a deep sigh.

The Fairy Tail mages started to trudge through the jungle in search of any clues. But after searching for over an hour they hadn't found a single thing. As the group stopped to rest in a clearing, Natsu's picked up a strange scent.

"What is that?" Natsu asked, as he inhaled deeply. "It really stinks."

"What are you on about, idiot?" Gray said in an annoyed tone.

"I don't know, ice princess, but something really reeks." Natsu said, as he took another whiff. The dragon slayer spun around to follow the scent. But when Natsu turned around his eyes bulged. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!"

"What now...WHAT THE SHIT!?" Gray yelled out when he saw a giant mouse in a pink and black dress sitting behind them.

"A MOUSE!" Natsu yelled in complete shock.

"IT'S FUCKING HUGE!" Gray screamed, taking a cautious step back.

"Guys take it down already! She say. Aye. He says." Horologium said for Lucy and Happy, as they pressed against the grandfather clock's glass.

"Bring it on!" Gray exclaimed, as frost began to form in his palms.

"It's going to spit something up!" Natsu yelled, when he saw the giant mouse's cheeks begin to bulge.

"I'll use **Ice Make Shield** and..." But before Gray could finish, the giant mouth began to spew a green noxious gas from its mouth.

"NGAH! WHAT THE FUCK!?" Natsu roared, as he covered his nose. The dragon slayer had to suppress the urge to vomit, as he collapsed to the ground.

"What's going on guys?! She says." Horologium said, as he suddenly inhaled the disgusting gas. "NGAH!" The clock celestial spirit suddenly collapsed to the ground unconscious. Seconds later Horologium disappeared, leaving LucyThe giant mouse laughed, as it watched the mages writhe on the ground.

"GAH! It stinks! What is this smell?!" Gray yelled, as he turned to look at Natsu. The dragon slayer was lying on the ground and barely conscious. "Natsu! You suck!" The dragon slayer managed to lift his arm and flip Gray off. "Oh, that's right you have a stronger sense of smell than us!" Gray quickly hauled Natsu, Lucy, and Happy to their feet. "RUN!" The Fairy Tail mages started to run for their lives, as the giant mouse chased after them. Several times the humongous mouse tried to swipe at the mages, but they managed to quickly dive out of the way each time. "Tch, I've had a enough of this!" Gray slammed his hands onto the ground, freezing all the ground in front of him. "**Ice Make Floor!**" The mouse immidiately slipped on the ice, and fell straight into its back.

"Nice one!" Natsu complimented, as the group continued running.

"Look guys! There's a building over there!" Lucy exclaimed, as she pointed to some ruins in front of them. "Let's get in there while we still can!"

"We're beating the shit out of this mouse while we can!" Gray and Natsu yelled simultaneously, as they hit the downed mouse. Once the mouse was unconscious, the Fairy Tail mages made their way into the ruins. The first room they entered was a large mostly empty room, that seemed to be falling apart.

"Man this room is massive." Lucy commented, as she scanned over the massive room.

"It's falling apart." Natsu observed, spotting the toppled over pillars. Suddenly something caught Natsu's eye. "Look, there are Moon-shaped marks all over the walls."

"Well this island was originally called Moon Island." Gray said, as he gazed at the marks.

"Moon Island and Moon's curse...Moon-shaped marks. This is getting really suspicious." Lucy said, rubbing her chin.

"This place is really shabby...is the floor even sturdy enough?" Natsu asked, as slammed his foot onto the floor.

"Hey! Stop that!" Lucy yelled, as she walked over to the pink-haired dragon slayer. "You just said this place looked shabby!" Moments after Lucy said this, the floor underneath the group collapsed.

"IDIOT!" Gray screamed, as everyone fell into the hole that Natsu had created.

"Happy can you do anything?!" Lucy yelled, as the group fell towards the ground below.

"I can only care one person at a time!" Happy exclaimed right before crashed into the ground below. Lucy's landing wasn't as rough, because Natsu had managed to reach out and catch her. The dragon slayer had quickly spun around so that he'd land on his back; causing him to take the brunt of the impact.

"Natsu! Are you ok!?" Lucy asked in a worried tone, as she hopped off him.

"Yep!" Natsu said with a toothy grin, jumping back to his feet. "I feel just fine!"

"Okay...but be more careful next time, I thought you may have gotten hurt." Lucy said, as she dusted herself off.

"Sure thing Luce." Natsu said, just as Gray punched him in the back of the head.

"Dumbass! Do you ever think!?" Gray yelled in a pissed of tone. The ice mage sighed, as he looked up to where they all fell from. "Looks like this is a basement for the ruins we found earlier."

"Whoa! It's a secret cavern!" Natsu exclaimed in an excited tone. "Since we're already down here, let's do a little exploring." Natsu immidiately took off sprinting down a random cave in the underground cavern. The rest of the group slowly trailed behind Natsu. But once Lucy, Gray, and Happy caught up with Natsu; they were surprised to see him standing still at the end of the cave.

"Hey! Don't run off next time!" Gray chastised, as he walked up to the dragon slayer.

"Huh?" Natsu muttered, as his mouth hung open.

"What is up?" Gray asked with a confused look.

"Wh-What is t-that?" Natsu managed to stutter out. When everyone else followed the dragon slayer's gaze their eyes widened in shock. Before them was a humongous demon encased in ice. "A GIANT MONSTER!" As the rest of the group stared at the monster in shock; Gray took a few fearful steps back. Sweat formed on the ice mage's brow, as he began to shake.

"Deliora!" Gray exclaimed in a disbelieving tone. "No way! How can Deliora be here?!"

"What? You know what this thing is?" Natsu asked, as he pointed to the monster.

"Impossible!" Gray yelled, as he clenched his fists. "It can't be here! It's...! It's!"

"Gray, calm down!" Lucy exclaimed, placing her hand on the ice mage's shoulder. Gray took a few deep breaths and seemed to calm down slightly. "Hey Gray...what is this thing anyways?"

"Deliora." Gray said through clenched teeth. "Demon of misfortune and disaster."

"Demon of misfortune and disaster?" Natsu parroted, as he gazed up at the demon that towered over the mages.

"I-It hasn't even slightly changed..." Gray said in a confused tone. "What's going on here?"

"Shhhh!" Natsu said, as his ears perked up. He quickly grabbed Gray and Lucy, and tossed them behind some nearby boulders. Before either could argue, the pink-haired dragon slayer covered their mouths. "Someone's coming."

From the cave they entered from, two men emerged. One of the men had spiky blue hair and large eyebrows. While the other had long orange hair and sported a doglike appearance.

"Are you sure this where you heard the voices?" The blue-haired man asked.

"I'm kinda sleepy..." The doglike man said, as he rubbed his eyes.

"Did happen to get some Moon Drip on you?" The blue-haired man asked, raising one of his large eyebrows.

"I DIDN'T" The doglike man yelled, suddenly enraged.

"I'm just teasing you, idiot." The blue-haired man said with a deep sigh. "Jeez Toby you need to calm down."

"Heheh, sorry Yuka." The now named Toby said, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Moon Drip...are they talking about the curse?" Lucy asked, as she peeked over the boulders they were hiding behind.

"Yuka-san, Toby-san I have some terrible news." A feminine voice said, as a third person emerged from the cave. A pink-haired woman quickly walked over to Toby and Yuka.

"Oh Sherry, it's just you." Yuka said, as he put his hands behind his pack.

"Angelica has been hurt by someone." Sherry said in a sad tone.

"IT'S JUST A MOUSE!" Toby screamed, earning a glare from Sherry.

"She's not just a mouse..." Sherry said, clasping her hands in front of her stomach. The pinkette's cheeks were tinged pink, as she shuffled from foot to foot. "Angelica is a hunter that gallops through the darkness. And love."

"Something's really wrong with her." Lucy said with a sweatdrop.

"They're not originally from this island." Natsu said, taking a whiff of the air. "Their smell is totally different."

"And they don't seemed to be cursed." Happy observed, as he turned his gaze to Toby. "I'm not sure about that guy with the ears though."

"So there is intruders, eh?" Yuka said, lowering his head as he thought.

"Moonlight will gather soon...but now we have intruders...how sad this is..." Sherry said, as she gazed at Deliora. She then turned her gaze back to Yuka and Toby. "We need to get rid of these intruders before Reitei-sama hears about it. Yes...before the Moon shows herself."

"I concur." Yuka said, nodding his head. "Since they've most likely seen Deliora we can't let them get back alive."

"Eternal sleep to the intruders...in other words _**love**_." Sherry said, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

"IT'S CALLED DEATH! WE'RE GONNA KILL THEM!" Toby yelled, as he stomped his foot.

"Right, let's try to find them." Yuka said, as he led Sherry and Toby out of the cavern.

"Now what?" Natsu asked, as the Fairy Tail mages emerged from their hiding spots. "We should have just captured them and asked them some questions."

"Not yet, let's see how this all pans out." Lucy said, earning a frown from the dragon slayer.

"This is becoming very confusing." Natsu said in an annoyed tone, furrowing his brows.

"I wonder who these people are." Happy said, as he rubbed his chin.

"Shit...why did they bring Deliora here?" Gray said through clenched teeth, staring at the ground. "I mean, how did they find where Deliora was sealed?"

"Sealed?" Natsu repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Deliora was sealed in an iceberg on the Northern continent." Gray explained, causing Natsu and Lucy's eyes to widen. "It's an immortal demon that entered the Land of Isvan ten years ago. It's a demon that my magic teacher, Ur, sacrificed her life to seal." Lucy gasped and Natsu looked slightly shaken by this revelation. Gray clenched his fists, as frost began to form around his hands. The ice mage leveled a harsh glare at the demon before them. "I don't know how Deliora is related to this Island's curse...But I know it shouldn't be here...Reitei...What are you trying to do?" A sudden growl escaped Gray's throat. "I won't let you get away with this! I won't let you disgrace Ur's name!"

"A demon that your teacher sealed?" Natsu parroted, causing Gray to release a sigh.

"Yes. There's no doubt." Gray replied, staring up a Deliora.

"If it was originally on the Northern continent, how did it end up here?" Happy asked to no in particular, as he scratched his chin.

"Could this demon be the cause the island's curse?" Gray asked, turning to Gray.

"Possibly. This demon's still alive anyways." Gray answered with perplexed look.

"If that's the case let me try to finish it off." Natsu said, stretching his muscles. But before Natsu could make a move towards Deliora, Gray punched Natsu in the jaw; sending the dragon slayer crashing to the ground. Lucy gasped and quickly ran over to help Natsu up. "Gray you! What the hell was that for!"

"A fire mage won't get any closer." Gray said in a serious tone. "If the ice melts and Deliora is set free, no one could stop it."

"Is that ice so weak that it would melt so easily!" Natsu shouted, causing Gray's eyes to widen.

"...No." Gray said, tearing his gaze away from the dragon slayer.

"Gray...are you alright?" Lucy asked, placing her hand on Gray's shoulder.

"Tch, guess I was hit for nothing." Natsu said to himself, as he spit out some blood.

"Ur cast a magic called **Iced Shell** on that demon." Gray explained in a low tone, his hair covering his eyes as he stared at the ground. "It's an unmeltable ice. Even with some incredible fire magic, this ice wouldn't melt. If they knew they couldn't melt it, why would they bring this demon out?"

"Maybe they didn't know. Maybe they're trying to melt it somehow." Lucy suggesting, earning a glare from Gray.

"Why would they do that?!" Gray yelled, causing Lucy to jump back.

"I-I don't know." Lucy said, holding up her hands defensively.

"Tch." Gray muttered, gritting his teeth. "Shit! I'm not acting like my normal self." Gray looked up at the demon before them. "Who brought Deliora here, and for what reason?"

"The answer is easy." Natsu said, pointing towards a cavern. "We have to go after those guys from earlier."

"Yeah, after hearing all this from Gray, we need to find out what those people are planning." Lucy agreed, placing her hands on her hips.

"No." Gray said, turning back to the rest of the group. "We'll wait here. We wait until the Moon is up."

"The Moon...But it's the middle of the fucking day!" Natsu exclaimed with wide eyes. "No way I'm waiting that long! I'll die of boredom!"

"What are you talking about, Gray?" Lucy asked, covering Natsu's mouth to stop him from shouting.

"I can't stop thinking about how everything, the island's curse and Deliora, are somehow related to the Moon. That pink-haired girl said _the moonlight will gather soon_."

"I see..." Lucy said, as she nodded her head. "Alright we'll stay put for now. But I have to say I'm curious as to what will happen next...What are they planning?"

"That's impossible for me, Luce!" Natsu shouted, spewing a small stream of fire. "I'm gonna go after them!" But before Natsu could take off, Lucy grabbed his arm. The blonde celestial spirit mage quickly forced the pink-haired dragon slayer to sit down.

"You listen now Natsu, you're staying here." Lucy said in low tone, as she glared at Natsu. She then pointed over to Gray. The ice mage was sitting on a rock, and appeared to be in deep thought. "Whatever's going on here is seriously messing with Gray's head. So you can't just run around and destroy things like usual. This Deliora thing obviously traumatized him or something, so we need to try and do things his way for now. So please just relax for now, do it for me."

"*Sigh* Damn it...fine Luce I'll stay here. But I'm doing this because you asked me to, not because I care about Gray." Natsu said, avoiding Lucy's gaze and crossing his arms over his chest. _"Holy crap! That was almost as bad as a scolding from Erza. When did Lucy get so scary?"_

"Good, then get some rest or something." Lucy said with a smile, as she sat down on a rock.

_"Ur." _Gray thought, as he clasped his hands in front of his face. As the ice mage sat down, he couldn't help but think back to when Ur had taught him ice magic.

"Ugh, even if we agreed to wait it's still really boring." Lucy complained, resting her head on her had. Suddenly an idea popped into the blonde's head. She reached back for her gate keys, and pulled out a silver one. "**Open! Gate of the Lyre! Lyra!**" A bright golden light filled the are in front of Lucy. When the light died down a strawberry blonde-haired girl in a blue and pink dress stood smiling at Lucy. The celestial spirit also appeared to have a large blue harp on her back.

"KYA! Lucy! It's been so long since I've seen you!" Lyra cheered, waving energetically at Lucy. "AW! How come you only summon once in a while!?"

"Our contract only allows me to summon you like three times a month." Lucy replied with a sweatdrop.

"EH?! Is that so?! I must have forgotten!" Lyra exclaimed in a shocked tone, as she sat down next to Lucy. "So? What do you want me to sing?"

"Anything really, it's totally your call." Lucy answered, causing Lyra's eyes to light up.

"Alright! Then I know exactly what to play!" Lyra exclaimed in an excited tone, as she pulled the harp off her back. Soon Lyra began to pluck the strings of her harp, producing a beautiful and soft melody. _**"Words are born...words fade away...words continue to live...in you." **_Lucy and Natsu both closed their eyes, and began to nod off. _**"When you stuck...they change into courage...let's step out...you're stronger...than back then..." **_Gray began to shake, as he fought back tears. The song was bringing back memories of Ur. **_"So don't hesitate."_**

"Believe the words..." Gray said, as tears finally began to fall from his eyes. "From that time."

"Eh? Gray?" Lucy asked, surprised to see Gray crying.

"Huh? What's up?" Gray asked, quickly wiping away his tears.

"I knew Lyra was good a singing about people's feelings." Lucy said, causing Gray to clench his teeth.

"Gray cried." Happy said in a surprised tone.

"I didn't!" Gray quickly denied, refusing to turn around.

"L-Lyra can you sing something more cheerful?" Lucy asked, trying to lift the sullen mood.

"EH?! You should have said that from the start." Lyra said, as she readied to play another song.

"Wait." Gray said, stopping Lyra before she could start. "What will we do if someone comes? Just keep quiet for now."

* * *

(Several Hours Later)

All of the Fairy Tail mages were fast asleep, when they were all suddenly awoken by a large crashing sound; echoing throughout the cave. Natsu and Lucy both groaned, as they sat up.

"What's that sound?" Lucy asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Man it's night time already!" Natsu exclaimed, as he shot to his feet.

"The ceiling..." Gray said, pointing towards the cavern's roof. A large hole had started to open in the cavern's roof, and it was pouring in purple moonlight. "Opened up! Purple light...That has to be the moonlight!"

"What's going on?!" Happy yelled, as the purple light began to intensify. The light streamed through the hole in the roof, and directly hit Deliora below.

"The light's hitting Deliora!" Lucy exclaimed in a shocked tone. "This can't be a coincidence!"

"C'mon! Let's search for where the light's coming from!" Gray shouted, as he began to sprint out of the cavern.

"All right, let's go!" Natsu exclaimed, charging after Gray.

The Fairy Tail mages ran through the caves and up several flights of stairs. Eventually they found themselves in another large open room. In the middle of the room they found a large hole that allowed the moonlight to flow through it.

"There was hole in the middle of these remains!?" Gray said, as he looked up at room's ceiling. "It's coming from above!" Running up several more flights of stairs, the Fairy Tail mages discovered the source of the moonlight. There was a large hole on the roof of the remains that was funneling the moonlight into the ruins. But the Fairy Tail team was surprised to see a group of people dressed in cloaks circled around the large hole and chanting.

"Are they really gathering moonlight?!" Natsu asked, as everyone took cover behind a low wall.

"And they're exposing Deliora to it?! What are they doing!?" Lucy said, just as Lyra appeared besides her.

"It's a spell called **Moon** **Drip**." Lyra said, surprising Lucy.

"You're still here?" Lucy asked with a sweatdrop.

"I know what's going on now." Lyra said, causing everyone eyes to widen. "They're going to use **Moon Drip **to revive the demon underground!"

"That can't be...**Iced Shell** can't be melted." Gray said, turning to face the celestial spirit.

"**Moon Drip **is a type of magic made to specifically melt ice." Lyra explained, causing Gray's eyes to widen. "When the Moon's magical power is gathered at one place it has the power to break any type of spell."

"No way..." Happy breathed out in shock.

"They...don't know how horrendous Deliora is!" Gray said, a hint of fear evident in his voice.

"Whatever the island's people think that curse is; I think it has something to do with **Moon Drip**." Lyra suggested, glaring at the cloaked people surrounding the large hole in the roof. "The Moon's magical power gathered at one spot is so strong that it can contaminate a human body."

"They...!" Natsu was about to charge out, but Lucy quickly grabbed him.

"Wait! Someone's coming!" Lucy hissed, just as four more people walked onto the roof. Three of them were the people that the Fairy Tail mages had seen earlier:Yuka, Toby, and Sherry. But the fourth person was some that the group hadn't encountered yet. The man was very imposing; he sported a large white cape, with a wide collar, golden edges and fur trimmings over the shoulders, held closed by belt. Below this cape, he wore a blue, high-collared tunic with golden edges, reaching down below his knees. The outfit also included baggy dark pants tucked inside armored greaves, composed of different plates and sporting knee caps, and an ornamental helmet obscuring most of his face. Bearing resemblance to a skull, this helmet sported a front part which covered the man's upper face, revealing his mouth and nose, with a line of sharp teeth beneath it, and his eyes not being visible from the eye slits of the mask. The helmet also came equipped with striped horns pointing frontwards and with a large crest made of spiky fur, falling on the man's back.

"Shit...I've been awake almost all day, and now I'm tired." Yuka cursed, as he shook his head. "We couldn't find the intruders either."

"YOU SURE THERE WAS INTRUDERS IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" Toby yelled in an angry tone.

"I have terrible news Reitei-sama." Sherry said, walking up to the now identified Reitei. "There were some intruders during the daytime...but we couldn't find them. I can't speak of love like this."

"Intruders..." Reitei repeated in an irritated tone. Hearing the man's voice, Gray's breath hitched.

"That's Reitei?" Natsu asked, raising a pink eyebrow.

"Look at him, acting all high and mighty. Wearing a mask and all." Lucy said, glaring at Reitei.

"Yeah, he looks like a total douche." Natsu said, forcing at the man.

"Is Deliora revived yet?" Reitei asked, walking towards a cliff overlooking the village on the other side of the island.

"Probably today or tomorrow." Sherry quickly replied.

"WHICH IS IT!?" Toby exclaimed, causing Sherry and Yuka to groan in annoyance.

"We're almost there..." Reitei said with a smirk. "About those intruders...I don't want anyone to get in the way now."

"We understand, Reitei-sama." Sherry said, bowing slightly.

"Only the village on the other side of the island has humans there." Reitei said, gesturing towards the village. "Go there and obliterate that village."

"Yes sir!" Sherry, Toby, and Yuka said simultaneously, as they took off running towards the village.

"What?!" Natsu exclaimed, as he shot to his feet.

"Those townspeople have nothing to do with this!" Lucy said, as she began to panic. "What should we do?!"

"That voice..." Gray said, as sweat began to form on his brow. "Please tell me...it's a lie..."

"I don't prefer blood, but..." Reitei said with a smirk, as he stared at the village.

"FUCK THIS!" Natsu roared, as he jumped out of their hiding spot. "I'M SICK OF THIS SNEAKING AROUND SHIT!" The pink-haired dragon slayer inhaled deeply, before he exhaled a large stream of lightning into the sky. "WE'RE GOING TO STOP YOU ASSHOLES!" Everyone stopped and turned to face the Fairy Tail mages.

"Shit! Heaven knows what will happen next!" Lucy exclaimed, as she grabbed two keys off her ring. While Natsu and Lucy prepared to fight; Gray seemed frozen in place.

"Those marks! They're from Fairy Tail!" Sherry pointed out in surprised tone.

"I see...the townspeople must have contacted a guild for help." Yuka said, crossing his hands behind his back.

"What are you doing?" Reitei asked, turning to Sherry, Toby, and Yuka. "Go an destroy the village."

"Why?" Natsu asked, gritting his teeth.

"Anyone who gets in our way. Anyone with such plans. You're all our enemies." Reitei said, clenching his fist.

"WHY?!" Natsu roared, as lightning crackled off his fists.

"YOU!" Gray yelled, as he charged forward. "Stop this useless ritual!" Gray slammed his hands onto the ground, causing of pillars of ice to sprout out of the ground. The ice pillars immidiately began to move towards the hole in the roof. But to everyone's shock, Reitei slammed his hands onto the ground as well; ice pillars flew out of the ground, identical to Gray's.

"He uses ice magic too?!" Happy exclaimed in shock. The forming pillars of ice collided, and began to form one massive block of ice. Soon the large chunk of ice exploded into thousands of smaller pieces.

"Lyon." Gray growled, as he glared at the man across from him. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Haha, it's been quite some time...Gray." The newly named Lyon said with a twisted smirk.

"You know him?!" Lucy asked in shock, as she pointed at Lyon.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Gray yelled in an angry tone.

"I'd never imagine, the mage that the townspeople have sent would be you." Lyon said with a small smile. "Did you know about all this, or was it all one big coincidence? Actually...it doesn't matter." Lyon turned back to his companions. "Hurry and go. I can take care of him myself."

"I won't let you!" Natsu roared, as he flew towards Lyon; electricity sparking of his fists.

"No! Natsu! Don't get close to him!" Gray yelled, trying to warn the dragon slayer. But it was too late. Ice began to swirl around Natsu, before it started to cling to his body. Natsu howled in pain, as the ice began to clump together all over his body. "Happy! Get Lucy out of here!" Gray managed to say, before he started to exchange blows with Lyon once again.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed, as he grabbed Lucy and began to fly away.

"Shit! I can't move!" Natsu shouted, as he struggled to break free of the ice encasing him.

"Happy! Are we seriously gonna abandon Natsu?!" Lucy shouted, looking back at the dragon slayer with a concerned look.

"That guy flooded the area with ice magic!" Happy replied, as he carried Lucy to safety. "If we had stayed there, we would've been caught in the ice as well."

"But...then Natsu might..." Lucy struggled to say, as tears filled her eyes.

"If all of us were taken out, who would protect the village?!" Happy exclaimed, tears began to form in eyes as well.

"Happy." Lucy breathed out in a surprised tone. A sad smile suddenly spread across Lucy's face. "...Sorry Happy...You must have been holding yourself back from helping Natsu. We'll just have to have faith in Natsu."

"Natsu will be alright! Ice can't do a thing to the Salamander!" Happy cheered, causing Lucy to chuckle.

"Aye sir!" Lucy exclaimed, as Happy flew towards the village.

"Hmm, you made an opening for the girl and cat to get away..." Lyon said in a bored tone. "It's alright...they won't be able to stop Sherry and the others."

"Don't underestimate Fairy Tail mages!" Natsu shouted, still trapped in a spherical block of ice. Before Natsu could say anymore, Gray kicked the dragon slayer. Immidiately losing his balance, Natsu began to roll down a nearby hill. "THE FUCK GRAY?!" Natsu's voice trailed off as he got farther down the mountain.

"You're still reckless, Gray. Wasn't he one of your nakama?" Lyon asked with a smirk.

"That magic you used can destroy a person's body along with the ice, am I right?" Gray questioned, causing Lyon to chuckle.

"I see. That's why you pushed him to where my magic can't reach him. Nice work." Lyon complimented, causing Gray to growl.

"Stop acting like you're my senior." Gray said, glaring at Lyon. "Lyon, you're not Ur's student anymore."

"The same goes for you, Gray." Lyon said, as he began to remove his helmet. "Ur isn't alive anymore."

"She sacrificed her life to seal Deliora!" Gray shouted in a furious tone. "You're trying to destroy what's left of Ur!"

"Don't fool yourself Gray...you killed Ur." Lyon said, revealing his face. Gray gasped, as sweat began to form on his brow. "How can you live with yourself?"

"GRAY! YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL REMEMBER THIS!" Natsu roared from the bottom of the hill. Flames exploded off Natsu's head and hands, as he tried to melt the ice encasing him. "Why can't I melt this shit!?" Natsu pressed his flaming hand against the ice, but it nothing. "What's up with this ice!?" Natsu growled, and slowly began to shuffle around. "Fuck this! I have to get back to the village fast!" Natsu stumbled slightly, but he managed to readjust himself. "God damn it! It's hard to run in this shit! Fucking Gray!"

* * *

(Water Leading to Galuna Island)

"W-What are you g-going to that island for?" A pirate asked in a frightened tone.

"Just. Navigate." An annoyed feminine voice replied.

"Pardon me...but Galuna Island is cursed...I heard humans turn into demons there..." The pirate said, but a grunt from the woman stopped him.

"I don't care." Erza Scarlet said with a frown. "I'm just going there to stop a couple of dumbasses from getting killed. Simple as that." Erza growled, as she glared at the island ahead. "I swear Natsu if you get hurt, I'll never forgive you." The scarlet-haired woman clenched her fists tightly. "If you wanted to go on an S-class mission so badly, I would have taken you on one you idiot."

* * *

(Back on Galuna Island)

"You're the one who killed Ur, Gray." Lyon said, glaring at Gray. "You shouldn't even be allowed to say her name." Lyon raised his arm and hit Gray with a blast of ice. Gray was sent crashing into a low wall.

"Lyon." Gray said in a surprised tone.

"What's wrong? Do you feel too guilty to counter-attack?" Lyon asked, raising a silver eyebrow. "If that's the case, stay out of my way. I'm going to revive Deliora."

"I won't let you." Gray growled, as he pushed himself off the ground.

"That's the spirit." Lyon said with a smirk, as he dropped her helmet. "Let's have a real fight, it's been a while." Lyon once again raised his arm, as frost began to form in the air. "**Ice Make Eagle**." A barrage of eagles formed out ice shot towards Gray.

"**Ice Make Shield**." Gray shouted, as he spread his arms out. A large shield made out of ice appeared in front of him; blocking the volley of ice eagles.

"You're good a molding materials. 'Static' **Ice Make**." Lyon said, as a group of ice eagles circled around Gray's shield and hit him. "My ice however is a living thing. 'Dynamic' **Ice Make**. Did you forget that my ice can shift around?"

Gray rolled out of the way, dodging another burst of ice eagles. "**Ice Make Hammer**." Gray slammed his fist into his palm, causing a massive hammer, made out of ice, to form above Lyon.

"**Ice Make Ape**." Lyon lifted his arm above his head, and a large ape made out of ice appeared. The ape raised its arms and stopped the ice hammer from hitting Lyon. "Tch, you're pathetic Gray. You're still using both hands for ice modeling magic."

"It's Ur's teaching." Gray countered, standing back on his feet. "One-handed molding is incomplete and unbalanced."

"I'm special. I surpassed Ur's power long ago." Lyon said, causing Gray to grit his teeth.

"Don't think so highly of yourself." Gray said, nearly out of breath.

"I'd say the same thing to you." Lyon said, glaring at Gray. "Were you able to hit me even once?"

"I'm not the same as I was back then!" Gray shouted, slamming his fist into his palm. "**Ice Geyser!**" Gray slammed his hands onto the ground, causing massive pillars of ice to shoot out of the ground. Lyon seemed to be encased in the ice, but seconds later all the ice exploded around him.

"You haven't changed at all Gray." Lyon's voice echoed out amongst the fallings shards of ice. "I was the senior pupil, and I was always stronger than you. I could mold magic one-handed, but you couldn't. Absolutely nothing has changed." Suddenly the ice surrounding Lyon exploded outwards, revealing that he was unscathed. "Even thought out paths are differ, time has been frozen since then." Gray gasped when a massive dragon made out of ice burst out of the fallings ice shards, and launched him into the air. "That's why I'm melting the ice; in order to walk on the paths that were once blocked." Gray crashed back to the ground with an audible thud. "Ur was my goal. It was always my dream to surpass her." Lyon grit his teeth and clenched his fists. "But you ruined that dream. I thought it'd be impossible to surpass Ur now. But there's still a way." Gray managed to lift himself back up to one knee. "If I can defeat Deliora, the demon that Ur couldn't even defeat..." Gray's eyes widened when he saw the crazed look in Lyon's eyes. "Then I have surpassed her. I can continue dreaming."

"Are you fucking insane?! Is that seriously what you're planning?!" Gray yelled in shock. "You should know how terrible Deliora is! Please don't do this, it's impossible!" Hearing this caused Lyon to snap. The silver haired man lifted his hand, and completely encased Gray in ice.

"**Don't, It's impossible**" Lyon said in anger through clenched teeth. "Back then...we told you those exact words. Don't tell me you forgot." Lyon launched another barrage of ice, sending Gray flying out of the ice he was trapped in. "You challenged Deliora and that's why Ur died! You have no right to mention Ur's name! Vanish! Die!" Before Lyon could attack, Gray's vision faded white.

When Gray came to, he saw a large figure waddling towards him. When the figure came into view, Gray's eyes widened. It was Natsu. The dragon slayer was still encased in ice, as he glared at Gray.

"Damn you're lame." Natsu said with an annoyed look. "You're beaten half to death."

"Natsu...why are you here?" Gray asked, as Natsu grabbed the back of his shirt.

"I wasn't sure where the village was, so I climbed back up the hill. I can pick up scents better from up here." Natsu said, as he began to sniff the air. "Aha! It's that way! Let's get going!"

"Where's Lyon?" Gray asked, confused by his sudden disappearance.

"I have no clue." Natsu answer, hoisting Gray over his shoulders. "No one was here, and the ritual was already over." Natsu's eyes suddenly widened, as he began to pick up his pace. "Shit! We have to get moving, so that we can help Lucy! I won't forgive myself if she gets hurt."

As Natsu carried Gray, the ice mage couldn't help but think about what Lyon had said to him.

_"No! You'll never win against Deliora! It's impossible!"_

_"It's too early for you Gray!" _

Gray then remembered what Natsu had said to him before they left for Galuna Island.

_"I don't care! I'm gonna do this S-class job!"_

_"It's called S-class for a reason dumbass!"_

"Natsu..." Gray said quietly.

"Huh?" Natsu muttered, looking back at Gray.

"I can't...blame you for anything..." Gray managed to say, as tears fell from his eyes. "I really can't..." Seeing Gray's sadness, Natsu decided he had to try and cheer the ice mage up.

"Don't feel insecure just because you lost!" Natsu roared, causing Gray's eyes to widen. "WE ARE FAIRY TAIL! We're from the guild that doesn't know when to stop! We won't survive unless we continue running!" Natsu stumbled again, and almost fell over. "Shit! It's so fucking hard to run!"

* * *

(Back in the Village)

"-And so, whoever comes here are the real culprits behind this curse." Lucy explained to the villagers gathered around her. "This is a great opportunity to capture them and ask them how to return you all to normal."

"You say capture them. But those three are probably mages." Happy pointed out.

"That's true...even though we outnumber them, we don't have many mages." Lucy said, as she rubbed her chin. Suddenly an idea popped in Lucy's head. The blonde had a mischievous grin on her face, as she rubbed her hands together. "I thought of a good plan." Lucy then began to direct the villagers to help put her plan together.

Twenty minutes after Lucy had started construction of her plan; the Moka came investigate. "What's all this commotion about?!"

"Please listen. Enemy mages will attack soon." Lucy explained, causing the chief's eyes to widen.

"Enemies?!" Moka exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"They're hiding out in the ruins at the end of the forest. They're likely the people who caused you all to turn into demons." Lucy said, causing Moka to suddenly become enraged.

"I didn't ask you to do that!" Moka yelled, startling Lucy. "Why can't you just destroy the Moon!?"

"B-But we don't have to destroy the Moon anymore. We just need to catch the culprits." Lucy said, as she rubbed her arm.

"The Moon..." Moka shouted, as two villagers held him back. "Please destroy the Moon!"

"Please don't mind him." A villager said, as Moka was dragged off. "He's been through a lot since he lost Bobo."

"I understand." Lucy said with a look of determination. "Leave it to me. Everything will be alright."

"Princess." Virgo said, gaining Lucy's attention. "The preparation is complete."

"Thanks Virgo. As I expected you dig hole pretty fast." Lucy complimented with a smile.

"Will punish me?" Virgo asked, causing Lucy to sweatdrop.

"What the hell are you talking about? I gave you compliment." Lucy said with a confused look.

"You know what?" Happy said, as Lucy turned to face the blue cat.

"What is it Happy?" Lucy asked with a smile.

"I truly believe you're stupid Lucy." Happy said, causing Lucy's smile to turn into a frown.

"Way to be a dick Happy." Lucy said, crossing her arms under her chest.

"I don't think they'll fall for such an obvious trap." Happy pointed out, earning a glare from Lucy.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy said, pointing towards the trap behind her. "It's the perfect pitfall. Besides I don't see you coming up with any ideas cat!"

"Well...I think the idea itself is foolish..." Happy said, causing Lucy to pout.

"Well there's only one entrance to this village, right? The enemies, of course, will have to come through her as well." Lucy said with a smirk; proud of her own plan.

"I still don't think anyone will fall for it." Happy said, many of the villagers agreeing with him.

"Princess...I don't think this will work either." Virgo said, causing Lucy to hang her head.

"Even you Virgo?" Lucy said in a disappointed tone. Suddenly Lucy whipped her head around with an annoyed look on her face. "Just wait and see, this'll work for sure!"

"Lucy-san! Someone's coming!" The gate guard yelled.

"It's them. Open the gate!" Lucy exclaimed, earning a nod from the gate guard.

"Yes ma'am!" The gate guard said, as he turned to lever to open the gate.

"Come on!" Lucy exclaimed, as a figure came into view. But when Lucy got a better look at the approaching figure, her eyes widened.

"GUUUUUYS!" Natsu yelled, as he raced towards the village. "IS EVERYONE OKAY!?"

"NATSU!?" Lucy exclaimed in shock. The blonde was also surprised to see Natsu covered in ice and carrying Gray on his shoulders. "NO! Don't come closer!" Lucy began to wave frantically, trying to warn the dragon slayer. "HOLD IT! STOP!"

"What is it?" Natsu asked, as he came to a skidding stop; right in front of Lucy's pitfall. Lucy let out a sigh of relief. "Luce what's going on?" Natsu asked, taking another step forward. "THE FUCK!" Natsu screamed as he fell into the pitfall. When Natsu crashed into the ground; it kicked up a large amount of dust and debris.

"Someone fell in it after all." A villager said in a surprised tone.

"It failed." Lucy said, as she ran her hand down her face.

"God damn that hurt!" Natsu exclaimed, as he rubbed his back. "HEY! Who decided to pull a prank at a times like this?!"

"Lucy of course." Happy said, pointing to the blonde; who was trying to hide from Natsu.

"Oh...then great trap Luce!" Natsu said with a toothy grin.

"Huh?" Lucy muttered in surprise, as she came out of hiding.

"Natsu! I'm so glad you and Gray are alright!" Happy cheered from the edge of the pitfall.

"We're not fine at all. Gray's down." Natsu said, gesturing to an unconscious Gray. It was then Natsu noticed that the ice that had encased him had fallen off. "The ice is broken! Thanks Luce, my fire couldn't even melt that shit!"

"A-All according to plan." Lucy said nervously, forcing a smile onto her face.

"I'm assuming you're far away from the magic caster, the effect of the magic should have weakened." Virgo explained, causing Natsu to smirk.

"All right!" Natsu cheered, as he jumped out of the hole; setting Gray back down gently.

"Gray..." Lucy said in a concerned tone, as she looked down at the beaten ice mage.

"Those mages aren't here yet?" Natsu asked, as he scanned over the village.

"Now that you mention it, they're late." Lucy said in a confused tone, as she placed her hands on her hips. "They even left before you Natsu. But you arrived here first...strange."

"Yeah...I even climbed back up a hill and had a hard time running, so it took me a really long time." Natsu said, scratching hid head.

"Hey! This is our chance! Let's cover the hole back up!" Lucy suggested, causing the villagers to sweatdrop.

"That's odd." Happy said, looking at the ground. "There's no way it should've taken them this long."

"They're probably lost. Pitiful losers." Natsu said, turning to face the village gates.

"No, that can't be. They knew where the village was from the start." Lucy said, just as several villagers gasped in shock.

"Wh-What's that!?" A villager shouted, pointing into the sky.

Natsu, Lucy, and Happy all looked towards the sky; to see a large figure flying towards the village. Since Natsu had better vision, because of his dragon slayer magic; he saw the figure clearly first. When Natsu identified what the figure was his eyes widened in shock.

"It's that giant fucking mouse from earlier! How is that stupid thing flying!?" Natsu shouted, his mouth agape in surprise. "It's also carrying a huge bucket!"

"Flying in the sky...You're wasting the effort we went through to make that pitfall!" Lucy shouted, as she shook her fist at the flying mouse.

"We took too long making the poison jelly." Sherry said with a disappointed look.

"But our timing was good. Those mages are all in the village now." Yuka said, crossing his arms behind his back.

"Unless we destroy Deliora, our wishes will never come true." Sherry said, her gaze darkening. "Only death awaits those who stand in our way."

A sudden gust of wind caused the bucket Angelica was holding to shake slightly; causing a small droplet to fall from the bucket. The droplet of jelly quickly began to descend towards the ground; directly towards Lucy.

"Jelly?" Lucy asked in a confused tone, as she held out her hand. As the jelly dropped towards the ground, Natsu could smell what it was made out of. The pink-haired dragon slayer's eyes widened as he watched the droplet fly towards Lucy. Without thinking, Natsu immediately started sprinting towards Lucy.

"LUCY!" Natsu screamed, as he tackled Lucy out of the way. The droplet just barely missed Lucy, and hit a plant right next to her. The plant quickly began to smoke and dissolve. Seconds later the plant was a pile of smoking green ooze.

"T-Thank you Natsu." Lucy breathed out, as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. _"If that had hit me, I would have died." _

"Don't worry Luce, I said I'd keep you safe." Natsu said, turning to glare at the mages above; a furious look in his eyes.

"They have a bucket full of that stuff!" A villager shouted in scared tone.

"Don't tell me they're gonna that stuff on us?!" Another villager yelled, causing the other villagers to panic.

"Ugly." Yuka said, scowling at the villagers; he didn't know that Natsu could hear everything he was saying. "Humans become so ugly under the influence of **Moon Drip**. As if they're demons."

"How displeasing; it's like Deliora's children." Sherry said with a disgusted look, causing Natsu to growl in anger. "Angelica go ahead." The giant mouse dumped the bucket of green poisonous jelly; making sure to spread it all across the village.

"How are we supposed to stop that?!" Lucy screamed, fear evident in her tone. But she was calmed when she felt Natsu's hand on her shoulder.

"Luce, get everyone to the center of the village." Natsu said in a calm tone, surprising Lucy. Before Lucy could argue, Natsu had all ran off.

"NATSU!" Lucy shouted, as she watched the pink-haired dragon slayer sprint off. "...Alright, everyone get to the center of the village!" Lucy gave Natsu one last look before she began to usher people towards the center of the village. _"Natsu please stay safe."_

"Happy can you fly me up there?!" Natsu yelled, as Happy grabbed the back of his vest.

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed, as he flew towards the wave of poisonous jelly.

"I...won't leave Bobo's grave." Moka said, as he clutched his son's grave.

"With lightning on my right hand..." Natsu roared, as lightning sparked off his hands. "And lightning on my left hand...together they make." Natsu slapped his electrically coated hands together; creating a deafening thunderclap, as the sky filled with blinding yellow light. "**Lightning Dragon's Brilliant Flash!**" The electrical shockwave collided with the poisonous jelly, and began to spread it towards the outskirts of the village.

"He scattered the jelly with an electrical explosion!" Yuka said in a shocked tone. "That mage can use fire and lightning?!"

The poisonous jelly began to rain down all over the outer parts of the village. Since all of the villagers were in the center, none of them were hurt by the jelly. However the villagers gasped when they saw a large glob of jelly land of Bobo's grave.

"CHIEF!" The villagers shouted in shock, as they watched Bobo's grave begin to dissolve. However the villagers let out a sigh of relief when they saw Virgo drill out of the ground next to Lucy. The celestial spirit was carrying Moka in her grasp.

"I think we need to punish the chief." Virgo said, as she placed Moka back onto the ground.

"Virgo!" Lucy exclaimed, relief evident in her tone. "Thank God you were here to save the chief."

The villager's eyes widened as they surveyed the destruction that surrounded them. The entire village, except for the center, was completely melted and destroyed. The villagers began to whisper and murmur amongst themselves.

"The...village..."

"It's...completely destroyed..."

"It's awful."

"Is anyone injured?!"

"Everyone seems okay."

"We've made it somewhat, but the village is ruined." Lucy said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Bobo's grave..." Moka whispered, as he watched his son's grave crumble into pieces. A single tear fell from Moka's eye, as he fell to his knees.

"We have to eradicate all of Reitei-sama's enemies." Sherry said, as she made her way towards the villagers. Natsu's gaze was darkened, as he stared at smoking remains of the village. "We were going to pity you all, and give you an instant death. But I guess we'll have to spill a lot of blood now."

"What did you say?!" Natsu said with a furious look, turning to glare at the enemy mages.

* * *

**Annnd done! I felt that this was a good stopping point, because it was the end of a manga chapter, and I seriously didn't feel like starting a new manga chapter. There's about 14 chapters left in the manga for the Galuna Island arc at this point, so I can probably finish the rest of it next chapter. But if I can't it'll be two more chapters at most. Next chapter will have a lot of fighting, and will see Erza join the fray. Then we can get into the good stuff, during the Phantom Lord arc. So what did you guys think? Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW(I was a little disappointed by the lack of reviews last chapter, so let's try to pick it up with this one), and PM me ideas you have for this story. This chapter also marks the end of my quick updates for this story. The next chapter likely won't be out for a little bit, especially since I start college on Monday. Just be patient and the next chapter will be out eventually. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	13. Chapter 13 Deliora's Demise

**Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter. I apologize for the wait for this chapter, but life and college kinda got in the way; and I had to update my other pics before I did this one. So I thank you all for your patience. This chapter will hopefully see the end of the Galuna Island arc, but it may end up taking one more chapter. Then we can get to the Phantom Lord arc, which I'm ver excited to start ****writing. Also this story has almost reached 650 followers, which is ridiculous to me! So thank you all for your continued support. One more quick thing before I get on to the fic. I know I said I wouldn't add any more girls to Natsu's harem, but I've come to love Brandish from the Alvarez Empire's Spriggan 12. So if, and only if, she switches sides and starts fighting with Fairy Tail, or helps them in some way, I will definitely consider adding her to Natsu's harem. However if she doesn't switch sides, and remains an enemy, I won't add her. But I have a feeling she'll have a change of heart, or disagrees with Zeref's motives, and will start helping Fairy Tail. I just get those kind of vibes from her. She has that villain turns good guy feel to her. And I would fanboy so hard if she actually ended up joining Fairy Tail, as an actual guild member. Because I love when Fairy Tail gets new members; Wendy, Gajeel, Juvia, and Mest are some of my favorite characters next to Team Natsu's original members. Also how fucking amazing is that new opening to the Fairy Tail anime. It's absolutely perfect in my opinion. But enough of my ramblings, let's get to the fic!**

**P.S. I will not be retelling Gray's backstory with Ur and Lyon. We've all seen Gray's time with Ur and Lyon in the anime/manga, so I don't want to waste time retelling it here because it would largely remain the same. **

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all in Hiro Mashima's very capable hands.**

* * *

"What did you say?!" Natsu said with a furious look, turning to glare at the enemy mages. The dragon slayer's jaw was clenched, and his were tightly balled. Lucy could feel the air fill with electricity, as Natsu's magic flooded the area.

"Hmm, about 50 or so villagers, and two mages." Yuka observed, crossing his arms behind his back. "I give them 10 minutes, tops."

"How dare they..." Moka breathed out, as his eyes hardened. "They destroyed Bobo's grave..." The village chief rushed forward, but was stopped by a small group of villagers. "It's unforgivable! You'll pay for what you've done!"

"Chief! You have to calm down." A villager said, as he held Moka back. "Everyone get out of here!"

"Yeah, we don't want to be sucked into this fight!" Another villager exclaimed, as he picked up Gray's unconscious form. "We'll keep Gray-san safe!"

"I won't let any of you get away." Sherry said, her eyes narrowing at the fleeing villagers. "Reitei-sama's orders were for total obliteration." Sherry turned to the massive mouse behind her. "Angelica, shall we?"

"Chuuu!" Angelica exclaimed, scooping Sherry up in her arms and flying after the villagers.

"You son of a bitch get back here!" Natsu roared, as Sherry and Angelica sped past them. "Lucy! You have to stop them!"

"Right! Leave her to me!" Lucy shouted, as grabbed ahold of Angelica's large foot as she flew past. The celestial spirit mage held on for dear life, as Angelica flew higher into the air. "Stop right now! Don't you dare try to harm the villagers!" Lucy began to frantically punch Angelica's foot, but it had little effect.

"Who's that?" Sherry asked, spotting the blonde girl from before hanging off Angelica's foot. "Looks like we have a stowaway."

"Let's see how you like this!" Lucy exclaimed, as she unraveled her whip. Cocking her arm back, Lucy began to repeatedly strike Angelica in the face with her whip. The massive mouth roared in pain, and stopped spinning her tail.

"What are you doing, Angelica?! If your tail stops spinning..." But before Sherry could finish, Angelica began to plummet towards the ground below.

"Yeehaw!" Lucy cheered with a wide grin, as she clutched onto the plummeting Angelica.

"Please stay safe Luce, we're counting on you." Natsu said to himself, as he watched the large mouse crash into the ground a safe distance away. The dragon's slayers fists clenched, causing veins to bulge on his arms. _"If you get hurt because of these guys...I don't know what I'll do." _

"I bet she'll snap." Yuka said with a bored look, as he watched Angelica smash into the ground.

"I DIDN'T!" Toby roared in anger, earning a sigh of annoyance from Yuka.

"I wasn't talking about you." Yuka pointed out, as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Natsu, do you think Lucy is alright?" Happy asked with a concerned look.

"Luce is real tough buddy. She'll be fine." Natsu said with a toothy grin. "But go check on her, just in case."

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, as he began to fly towards where Lucy was.

"Now..." Natsu said, turning back to Yuka and Toby. The dragon slayer's body became engulfed in lightning, as he shot towards Toby. "I can deal with you two! **Lightning Dragon's Sword Horn!**" Natsu hit Toby with an electrically charged headbutt. Sending the dogman crashing to the ground. Yuka's eyes widened in shock, as he watched his teammate fall in one hit. Using his momentum to flip forward, Natsu inhaled deeply; embers formed around his mouth, as he aimed at Yuka. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu unleashed a red hot stream of fire at Yuka. Engulfing the mage in the intense flames. Flipping completely over, Natsu came to a skidding stop. However Natsu's eyes widened when he saw his flames begin to disperse; leaving Yuka completely unharmed.

"Such violent flames." Yuka said with a flick of his wrist; causing the rest of Natsu's flames to disappear. "Tch, don't tell me you're Fairy Tail's famed Salamander!"

Natsu's attention focused on some movement behind him. Glancing over, the dragon slayer saw the Toby was getting back to his feet. A frown spread across Natsu face, as he watched the dogman dust himself off. _"Damn it, he's back up now too."_

"We once belonged to a famous guild, too. So we won't be defeated so easily." Yuka said, as a smirk spread across his face. "You must have heard of Lamia Scale." Natsu's eyes widened when he heard this. "That's right...The guild Iron Rock Jura belongs to..."

"I don't give a fuck!" Natsu roared, shooting a stream of flames out of both of his arms. Yuka quickly raised a barrier to protect himself, but Toby was hit full force.

"B-Bastard! Listen to my tale until the end!" Yuka exclaimed, as he continued to block Natsu's flames.

"It's none of my business." Natsu said, clenching his teeth. "I don't give a shit which guild you used to belong to, or who your nakama are. You're targeting our client, meaning you're bothering our work." A vein bulged on Natsu's forehead, as his eyes filled with rage. "Which means your enemies of Fairy Tail. That's good enough reason for me to fight."

"Toby, don't butt in." Yuka said, as Toby got back to his feet once again. "I'll deal with him. **Surge!**" Yuka waved his arm, and a wave of magic flew towards Natsu.

"Easy, I'll just bust through it." Natsu said, as electricity sparked off his fists. But Natsu's eyes widened when he saw the wave of magic begin to cut into the ground. Reacting quickly, Natsu dove out of the way.

"Ah, I see you've noticed the 'nature' of my magic." Yuka said with a small smirk. Natsu growled, and released another stream of fire from his mouth. "**Surge!**" Another wave of magic, nullified Natsu's flames. "Each wave I create release vibrations that nullifies all magic. In short it's magic that blocks other magic."

"So that's the feeling I got earlier; I felt I couldn't block your magic with my fire or lightning." Natsu said, wiping the excess flames from his mouth.

"When I worked for Lamia Scale, I worked as an anti-mage." Yuka explained, as he gathered a large amount of magic around his hands. "You know why don't you?" Yuka raised his arms, releasing the large amount of magic he had gathered. The magic rocketed forward, causing to large explosions right in front of Natsu. "All other mages are powerless before me!" The dragon slayer raised his arm to shield himself from the flying debris.

"That should take care of him." Yuka said with an evil smirk. However Yuka's eyes widened when Natsu shot out of the cloud of debris; flames licking his clenched fists.

"We'll see about that!" Natsu roared, as his fist shot forward. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist****!**"

"**Surge!**" Yuka quickly formed a magical bubble that neutralized that's fire.

"Fine I just won't use magic then." Natsu said with a feral grin, as his fist thrust into Yuka's magical barrier. "See it went right through." However Natsu's began to cringe, as the magical bubble began to violently vibrate his arm.

"Sticking your bare hand in a magical sphere is just stupid." Yuka taunted, as he prepared to strike Natsu. "In a matter of seconds you'll be blown away."

"I don't think so." Natsu with a strained grin, causing Yuka to quirk a large eyebrow.

"Oh, and why's that?" Yuka asked in a mocking tone. "You can't use magic inside my **Surge** Salamander."

"I figured out your magic's weakness." Natsu replied, causing Yuka's eyes to widen. "I can't use my magic in this sphere, but if I'm not using magic I can pass right through it." Natsu's grin morphed into a wicked smirk, as his elbow began to fire out a constant stream of flames. "However I can still use magic outside this sphere!"

"You can use magic as a booster to increase your physical power?!" Yuka exclaimed just as the flames streaming off Natsu's elbow exploded backwards.

"**Fire Dragon's Flaming Elbow!**" Natsu roared as his fist rocketed forward at an incredible speed. The dragon slayer's strike sent Yuka flying backwards. Moments later Yuka crashed into the ground in an unconscious heap. "Heh, that's one down!"

"Ooohn, you're pretty good." Toby said, cracking his knuckles.

"If you thought that was good, I'll show something even more amazing." Natsu said, as he glared at the remaining enemy mage.

"You won't. I'm way stronger than Yuka." Toby said, as his nails suddenly elongated. "**Paralysis Nails: Mega Jellyfish!**" Toby crossed his arms, and a grin spread across his face. "A secret is hidden within these nails."

"Paralyzation?" Natsu asked, quirking a pink eyebrow.

"HOW'D YOU KNOW?!" Toby exclaimed in a disbelieving tone. "Shit...he's a pretty smart mage."

"I really don't know what to do right now." Natsu said, scratching his head in confusion. "He's one of the stupidest people I've ever met."

"Don't call me stupid!" Toby roared, as he lunged at Natsu. The dragon slayer quickly sidestepped Toby's strike. Spinning around, Toby took another swipe at Natsu. The dragon slayer dodged once again. Letting an enraged roar, Toby began to swipe at Natsu furiously. "Once these nails touch, electrocuted, paralyzed, and all that awaits you is death!"

"Wait, did you say electrocute?" Natsu asked, as he stopped dodging Toby's attacks.

"Got you now!" Toby exclaimed, as he stabbed his nails into Natsu's chest.

"Damn it that kind of stings." Natsu said, as he rubbed the spot where Toby had stabbed him.

"WHAT?! WHY AREN'T YOU PARALYZED?!" Toby roared, as he stomped his foot.

"You really are an idiot." Natsu said, striking Toby with an electrified kick to the jaw. "Electricity won't work on me dumbass." Toby spit out some blood, and prepared to attack Natsu again. But the dragon slayer reacted first, grabbing ahold of Toby's wrist. "I'm getting really annoyed by you. So you're gonna take a nice nap." Natsu then forced Toby stab his nails into his own chest. The dogman roared in pain, as electricity coursed through his body. After a few moments, Toby fell to the ground; paralyzation stopping him from moving.

Natsu let out a light sigh, and turned to the ruins of the destroyed village. A frown spread across the dragon slayer's face when he saw the melted remains of Bobo's grave. Natsu made his way over to the grave, and put it back together as best as he could. The pink-haired dragon slayer kneeled in front of the grave, as he placed down the partially melted headstone.

"These people have done some truly cruel things. But everything will be back to normal soon; the village and its people. I guarantee it." Natsu stood back to his feet with a determined look in his eyes. "I'll avenge you, don't worry." The dragon slayer then turned towards where Lucy had crashed. Natsu knew that Lucy could fend for herself, but he couldn't help the inkling of worry that spread through him. "Please stay safe Luce, I know you can handle this."

* * *

(With Lucy and Angelica)

"Ugh...damn it that freaking hurt." Lucy groaned, as she began to scan the area around her. "Where is that pink-haired girl?"

"*Sniffle* *Sniffle* Thanks to you girlie, Reitei-sama's confidence in me has dropped." Sherry said, as tears fell from her eyes.

"Love?" Lucy parroted with a confused look on her face.

"On top of that, you hurt Angelica." Sherry said, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. A sudden growl escaped Sherry's through, as she leveled furious eyes on Lucy. "I'll never forgive you!"

"That's fine with me!" Lucy exclaimed, as she reached for her gate keys. "Bring it on you psycho bitch!"

"I'll end you!" Sherry screamed, thrusting her arm forward; creating a small pink magic circle. At first nothing happened, but after a few moments Lucy began to hear creaking sounds from behind her. Spinning around Lucy saw that the tree behind her was moving. "**Wood Doll!**"

"EH?! The tree is moving?!" Lucy yelled, just as the now living tree took a swipe at her with one of its large branches. The blonde celestial spirit mage dove backwards, and grabbed Taurus' key. "**Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!**" A magic circle immidiately formed in front of Lucy, and Taurus rose out of the ground. With a loud roar, Taurus used his massive axe to cut the **Wood Doll** in half.

"**Celestial Spirit Magic**!?" Sherry said in a shocked tone. "And she has one of the twelve Zodiacs as well!"

"Great job Taurus!" Lucy cheered, standing back to her feet.

"Lucy-san's tits are the greatest!" Taurus exclaimed, as he blew steam out of his nostrils.

"*Groan* You're so lucky Natsu isn't here right now." Lucy said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Tch, making your celestial spirit say such things and even enjoying it; that's very indecent." Sherry said, as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I didn't make him say it, and I am certainly not enjoying it you bitch!" Lucy shouted, shaking an angry fist at Sherry.

"How unfortunate..." Sherry said, as a small smirk spread across her face. "Celestial spirit mages are powerless against me."

"Taurus! Get her!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing at Sherry. But to Lucy' surprise Taurus turned his head, and glared at her. "Taurus what's wr-" Lucy was cut off when Taurus swung his massive axe at her. Taurus' swing barely missed Lucy, destroying the ground next to her. "What the hell Taurus! What's going on?!" Fear was evident in Lucy's voice, as she backed away from the celestial spirit. All the air escaped Lucy's lungs when she was slammed to the ground by her throat. Taurus' massive hand was tightly gripped around Lucy's throat.

"L-Lucy-s-san...I can't c-control my b-body." Taurus struggled to say with a pained look on his face.

"Haha, my **Doll Attack: Puppeteer **is a magic that can control anything but humans." Sherry said with an evil smile. "That applies to celestial spirits as well...since they aren't human."

"T-That can't be." Lucy gasped out, as Taurus continued to grip her throat.

"Taurus go ahead and strip her." Sherry ordered, causing Lucy's eyes to widen.

"I-I'm sorry L-Lucy-san...I m-may act perverted...b-but I would n-never d-do something l-like this to you...I j-just can't s-stop my a-actions." Taurus managed to say, as he tried his best to fight Sherry's control.

"**CLOSE! GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL!**" Lucy screamed, as Taurus grabbed ahold of the front of her shirt. The blonde yelped when Taurus ripped off her shirt, leaving her bandeau bra as the only thing covering her chest. "PLEASE! CLOSE IT! TAURUS!"

"You open and close celestial spirit gates upon both party's agreement." Sherry pointed, continuing to bend Taurus to her will. "You cannot close a gate one-sidedly. Fairy Tail's mages must truly be weak if they're only at this level."

Lucy let out a pained gasp, as Taurus began to pull her arm back. The blonde could feel that her arm was about to be broken if she didn't do anything soon. As Lucy frantically tried to think of a solution, she could have sworn she heard a voice whisper to her.

_"Please stay safe Lucy, I know that you can handle this." _

_"Was that Natsu?" _Lucy thought, as she suddenly clenched her fists. _"That's right! Natsu and the others are counting on me! I can't give up!" _Lucy let out a steady breath, as she began to focus her magic. _"Alright, one more try!" _

"**CLOSE!**" Lucy exclaimed, as she gathered all her will into closing Taurus' gate. "**GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL!**" The blonde let out a long breath, as she felt Taurus' weight disappear. Opening her eyes, Lucy saw that Taurus' form was beginning to shimmer and fade away. "Ha...Haha...I-I did it, Natsu." A wide smile spread across Lucy's face, as she gazed at her hands. "I managed to do a **Forced Gate Closure**."

"I...I didn't imagine that she could do something like that." Sherry said, a shocked look on her face. "It seems I've miscalculated."

"I-I've grown stronger..." Lucy said, as she gazed at the Fairy Tail marker on her hand. With renewed confidence, Lucy stood back to her feet. The blonde grinned, as she unwound her whip. "Yes! I'm a member of Fairy Tail too!"

* * *

(In Deliora's Chamber)

Lyon stood in front in the middle of Deliora's chamber. His eyes wandered over the frozen demon, as he studied its form. After a few minutes Lyon was shaken from his thoughts when someone spoke behind him.

"Reitei-sama." Lyon turned his head to see a masked man standing behind him. "Why didn't you kill that Gray brat?"

"No particular reason." Lyon replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "You know I don't prefer blood."

"You say that, but at the same time you sent three mages to kill all of the villagers." The masked man said, as Lyon turned his attention back to Deliora. "It seems to me that you may still have some hidden feelings for your once fellow student."

"Nonsense." Lyon said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I beat him so badly, he wouldn't dare oppose me...But if he by chance gets in our way again, I'll kill him without hesitation."

"Really?" The masked man asked with an evil smile.

* * *

(Back with Lucy and Sherry)

"I guess I should acknowledge you as a Fairy Tail mage after all." Sherry said, as she hopped down to where Lucy was.

"The real match starts now." Lucy said with a smirk, cracking her whip.

"Just don't forget; your celestial spirits are useless against me." Sherry said with a smirk of her own.

"We'll see about that." Lucy said, as she grabbed another key off her ring. "I still have a bunch of celestial spirits!" Lucy raised the silver key she was holding. "**Open! Gate of the Canis Minor! Nicola!" **In a puff of smoke Plue appeared in front of Lucy.

"You don't listen, do you?" Sherry taunted, as a magic circle formed in front of her hand. "**Doll Attack: Puppeteer!**" Sherry's magic took control of Plue, making him do her bidding. The celestial spirit quickly spun around, and began to attack Lucy. However, that consisted of Plue repeatedly pounding on Lucy's boot. Sherry's eyes widened when she saw a grin spread across Lucy's face.

"You fell for it!" Lucy exclaimed, her whip flashing towards Sherry. The pink-haired woman quickly jumped backwards; barely dodging Lucy's attack.

"Damn! Stupid small fry celestial spirit! **Cancel Manipulation!**" Sherry exclaimed, as she continued to dodge Lucy's whip. "Enough! **Doll Attack: Rock Doll!**" Lucy's jaw dropped as she watched a massive rock monster form in front of her. Sherry had a wicked smirk on her face, as she stood atop the rock doll.

"FUCK THAT!" Lucy exclaimed, as she bolted in the opposite direction; with Sherry's rock monster hot on her heels. _"Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Do I even have any celestial spirits that can break that fucking thing!? _Lucy continued to sprint through the jungle, ducking under branches and dodging trees. Bursting through the tree line, Lucy found herself on the beach. "*Pant* *Pant* The ocean? I can call Aquarius here...but..." Lucy turned around to see Sherry's rock monster looming over her.

"Looks like you have nowhere else to run." Sherry said, as he monster closed in on Lucy.

_"Water can't beat rock...and Aquarius usually sweeps me away too." _Lucy's eyes widened, as an idea popped into her head. _"Sweeps away!? I got it now!"_ Lucy dodged an attack from the rock monster, and made a beeline into the ocean. Sherry's rock doll leaped over Lucy, and landed in the water in front of her. But Lucy was already prepared; a gate key already in her hand. "**Open! Gate of the Water Bearer!**" Lucy plunged her key into the ocean, causing a large magic circle to form around her. "**Aquarius!**" The mermaid celestial spirit burst out of the water in front of Lucy.

"Aquarius!? You have that powerful celestial spirit as well!?" Sherry exclaimed in a surprised tone.

"Our enemy is that woman!" Lucy shouted, pointing at Sherry. "You hate women like that right?! Take her out!"

"Tch." Aquarius said in an annoyed tone, turning her eyes away from Lucy.

"You always have a bad attitude! Just take care of her!" Lucy yelled, earning a glare from Aquarius.

"Man, you're as noisy as ever. No wonder you don't have a boyfriend." Aquarius jabbed, causing Lucy's cheeks to tinge pink.

"That's none of your business!" Lucy exclaimed, as she tried to calm her raging blush.

"**Doll Attack: Puppeteer!**" Aquarius grunted, as she was taken over by Sherry's magic. "Ha, now you can't use Aquarius anymore. Make her go back to the Celestial Spirit World at once."

"No." Lucy said, surprising Sherry. "She's my trump card."

"Fine with me. Go ahead an be scattered away by the power of the sea!" Sherry exclaimed, as she began to manipulate Aquarius. "Aquarius! Destroy her!"

"I'll do that without you ordering me around, punk!" Aquarius roared, as she formed a massive tidal wave.

"You're truly a fool." Sherry said, as she watched Lucy be swept away by the wave. However Sherry yelped in surprise when the wave washed over her as well. Both girls screamed, as the tidal wave carried them towards shore.

"Tch, what are you talking about; **Forced Gate Closure**." Aquarius said with a smirk, as she began to glow. "I'll close the gate at my own will...idiots." With that final remark, Aquarius returned to the Celestial Spirit World.

Lucy and Sherry both washed up on the beach. Both girls were extremely dizzy, and had a hard time standing back up. Finally after a few minutes both girls managed to stand up on wobbly legs.

"Aquarius always makes massive waves whether you're friend or foe." Lucy explained, struggling to keep her balance.

"Gah...I was careless." Sherry said, almost tripping over herself. "Even so, she didn't destroy my rock doll."

"So what? The doll only moves if there's someone manipulating it." Lucy said, her dizziness causing her to spin around aimlessly. "Meaning I don't have to defeat the rock doll as long as I keep you dizzy." Lucy and Sherry suddenly bumped into each. Both girls immidiately began to weakly slap each other. "This is a Fairy Tail mage."

"I can't believe you're settling for a tie." Sherry said, dazedly slapping Lucy's arm.

"This ain't no tie! I'm gonna win!" Lucy exclaimed, as she violently shook her head.

"What are you talking about? You're staggering around just like me you idiot!" Sherry chastised, as she blindly swiped at Lucy.

"Not anymore! Take this!" Lucy exclaimed, as she cocked her fist back. With her dizziness now gone, Lucy's clenched fist shot forward. Lucy's punch hit Sherry in the cheek, sending the pink-haired girl tumbling to the ground. "KO bitch!"

"I-I can't...lose." Sherry said, as she laid on the ground. Her head now spinning from Lucy's punch. "Even if the candle of my life is blown out...my love for Reitei-sama won't disappear."

"Holy shit you're melodramatic! Quite fucking exaggerating! Come one, all I did was punch you!" Lucy exclaimed in an annoyed tone.

"Angelica...please avenge me." Sherry said before she fell unconscious.

A large crash sounded in the jungle behind Lucy. The blonde's eyes widened when she saw Angelica leap into the air above her. The massive mouse looked like it was about to body slam her.

"You're shitting me! That thing wasn't a doll!" Lucy exclaimed, as she tried to run away. But Lucy's legs immediately gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. _"Shit! My legs are like gelatin right now! What am I gonna do?!" _Unable to think of anything, Lucy closed her eyes and waited for Angelica to crush her. But a loud slashing sound caused Lucy to peak open an eye. The first thing Lucy spotted was head of flowing scarlet hair. Fully opening her eyes, the blonde saw Erza standing in front of her. The knight sword was drawn, while a defeated Angelica lay by her side.

"Erza!" Lucy exclaimed, as a massive smile spread across her face. However Lucy shut up when she the look on Erza's face. The scarlet haired woman seemed to be extremely upset. _"That's right! We've broken the guild's rules by taking on an S-class quest by ourselves!" _Lucy flinched in fear, as Erza walked towards her. The blonde was quite surprised when Erza extended her arm for Lucy to grab.

"Are you okay Lucy?" Erza asked, pulling the blonde onto her feet. The redhead's expression quickly changed from one of anger to one of concern. Then like a worried mother, Erza began to search Lucy for any injuries. "You aren't hurt are you?"

"I-I'm fine Erza." Lucy said, barely able to hide the surprise in her voice. Suddenly Lucy hung her head in shame. "You're hear to take us back, aren't you." However, Lucy was completely caught off guard when Erza pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm glad you're alright Lucy. I was so worried about you and Natsu." Erza said in a shaky voice, holding onto Lucy tightly. "I came here to keep your dumb asses safe."

"T-Thanks Erza." Lucy said in a shocked tone, as Erza released her from the hug.

"Lucy! You're safe!" Happy cheered, as he flew towards the blonde. But Happy stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Erza. Immidiately Happy son around, and began to fly the other way. But he was stopped when Erza grabbed onto his tail.

"Don't worry Happy, I'm not mad at you guys." Erza said, causing Happy to release a sigh of relief. "Now, where's Natsu?"

"I don't know." Lucy replied, as she clenched her fists. "We got separated during the fight...But we have to help the people on this island Erza! There are some mages here that are trying to revive a frozen demon called Deliora! And the villagers are suffering because of this! Lots of awful things are happening here!" Lucy bit her bottom lip, as she glanced way nervously. "We...want to save this island somehow."

"*Sigh* Alright, as long as I'm here I might as well help you guys finish your mission." Erza said, causing Lucy's eyes to light up.

"You will?!" Lucy exclaimed, earning a nod from the scarlet haired woman. "Thank you Erza!"

"Okay, lead me to where the village is. We can find Natsu later." Erza said, as Lucy began to lead them through the jungle.

* * *

(The Next Morning)

"Ugh." Gray groaned, as his eyes slowly fluttered open. The ice mage was surprised to find himself inside of a tent. Rising to his feet, Gray made his way out of the tent. When he lifted the tent flap, Gray was surprised to see a large tent city surrounding him."Where am I?"

"Oh great...you're awake." Gray turned his head to see a dark-haired girl smiling at him. "Don't be surprised. This is a storage area a short distance away from the village. But since...our village was destroyed last night we're all taking shelter here."

"The village..." Gray's eyes widened, as he remembered Lyon's words from the previous night. "Vanished?" Gray cringed in pain, as he clutched a hand over his heart. _"Lyon...he really did it."_

"But thanks to Natsu-san and Lucy-san, no one was injured." The girl said, causing Gray's eyes to widen.

"They're here too?" Gray asked, as he began to scan around the camp for his fellow guild members.

"Yes, they asked you go to their tent once you awoke." The girl said, pointing to a tent behind her. Gray followed where the girl was pointing and entered the tent she was pointing too. Lifting the flap, Gray was surprised to see Erza with an annoyed look on her face. Turning his head Gray spotted Lucy and Happy sitting off to the side avoiding his gaze. Erza's hands were clasped on her lap, as she glared at Gray.

"ERZA?! W-What are you d-doing here?!" Gray screeched, as he recoiled in fear. The ice mage gulped loudly; breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Lucy told me everything, Gray." Erza said in an icy tone, as her glare hardened. "I thought you were supposed to bring Natsu and Lucy back. Not help them continue this extremely dangerous mission!" Erza let out a light sigh, and closed her eyes. "Honestly, I'm disappointed in you Gray."

"W-Where's Natsu?" Gray asked, as he glanced around the tent.

"That's what I'd like to know." Erza said, not even trying to hide the worry in her voice. "We haven't seen a trace of him."

"Lucy...do you know what happened to Natsu?" Gray asked, earning a deep sigh from the blonde.

"I honestly have no idea where he is." Lucy replied, as she unconsciously started clenching and unclenching her fists. Gray also noticed that Lucy sounded rather worried about the pink-haired dragon slayer's well being. "He was fighting with some of Reitei's men, and we got separated. We found the mages defeated, but Natsu was nowhere to be found. After that Erza told us to take her to where you were."

"How did you find this place?" Gray asked, quirking a dark eyebrow. "I just found out that this was a storage area for the village."

"Happy and I found it when we were searching through the air." Lucy answered, as she turned her gaze to the floor. "Natsu likely has no idea where this place is."

"Which means he's probably wandering around with no idea where to go." Erza said, standing onto her feet. The knight turned to Gray, as she equipped a sword into her hand. "Gray we're going to find Natsu, let's go."

"Erza..." Gray breathed out, as he clenched his hand around the blade of Erza's sword; surprising the scarlet haired knight. Erza's eyes widened when she saw blood dripping from Gray's hand. "After we find Natsu I'm continuing this mission. I don't care what you say. You can do whatever you want! But this is what I choose! I just gotta do what I gotta do." Gray released Erza's sword, and started to make his way out of the tent.

"Uh, that's a great speech Gray but..." Erza tried to say, but Gray cut her off.

"I'll do what I want until the end." Gray said, turning his head to look at Erza. "Cut me down if you want."

"Again that was a nice speech Gray, but I never said I was gonna try and stop you." Erza said in a confused tone, causing Gray's eyes to widen. "In fact I was planning on helping you guys finish this mission."

"WHAT?!" Gray exclaimed, as his face burned red in embarrassment. "So I made that awesome and inspiring speech for no reason!?" Gray's face burned even brighter when he heard Lucy and Happy start giggling. Just then Gray felt a throb of pain come from his hand. Looking down, Gray saw that his hand was still heavily bleeding. "And I fucked up my hand for no damn reason too?!"

"God, I'm really glad I came now." Erza said with a sigh, as she began to bandage up Gray's bleeding hand. "You three would be dead right now if hadn't shown up."

"I can't believe Gray cut up his hand for no reason!" Happy exclaimed, as he burst out laughing.

"Happy!" Erza exclaimed, silencing the blue cat immidiately. "Don't make fun of Gray. He made of very courageous and inspiring gesture." A small smile spread across Erza's face, as she finished wrapping Gray's bandages. "Now, Let's go find our idiotic dragon slayer."

* * *

(Temple; Near the Center of Galuna Island)

"*Yawn* Shit...I had thought of such a good idea." Natsu muttered to himself, as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "But I slept way too long." A determined grin spread across Natsu's face, as he looked at the temple before him. "Well then, let's do this."

In the center of the temple, Lyon sat on a large stone throne. In front of him stood a very sheepish looking Toby. The dogman had just finished retelling the previous nights events to Lyon, and the ice mage looked rather annoyed to hear that his men had been defeated.

"This is unbelievable." Lyon said, crossing his arm over his chest. "Are you really the only one left." Toby broke out in a cold sweat, as he slowly nodded his head. "Fairy Tail...they're pretty good."

"Please don't tell Sherry and Yuka that I paralyzed myself." Toby said, hanging his head in shame.

"Deliora's revival could be completed now." The masked man said, as he entered the chamber.

"You're here too Zalty?" Lyon asked, raising a silver eyebrow.

"Tonight...the Moon's magical power will be at its highest, and Deliora will be revived." Zalty said with a wicked smirk. "But if anyone gets in the way of the **Moon Drip** ritual, Deliora will stay encased in ice forever."

"This is getting out of hand." Lyon said, as a frown spread across his face. "I should've just taken care of them myself."

"Your opponents are the fabled Salamander and Titania. They're two of Fairy Tail's strongest and most famous mages." Zalty explained, causing Lyon to chuckle under his breath.

"As always you're quick with your info." Lyon said, as he leaned forward in his seat. "But they're no match for me. With my ice blades that surpass Ur, I'll cut them to shreds."

"Hmmm, I like your confidence." Zalty said with a toothy grin. "So...I will join you in this upcoming battle?"

"WAIT! YOU CAN FIGHT?!" Toby shouted with a shocked look on his face.

"Yes...a bit of _'lost'_ magic." Zalty replied with a dark chuckle.

"Man that guy's creepy." Lyon said under his breath, avoiding Zalty's masked gaze. Suddenly the room started shaking violently. Rubble and debris fell from the walls and ceiling. Statues and pillars began to crumble throughout the room.

"I-Is it an e-earhtquake?" Toby asked, as the room continued to shake.

"T-This is..." Lyon started to say just as a large hole collapsed in the center of the room that led to the bottom of the temple. An extremely loud crash rang throughout the temple, as the room began to tilt to on its side. "No! The temple is being tilted!"

"Looks as if he's already started." Zalty said cryptically, as a smirk spread across his face. "Why don't you both look down there." Zalty pointed to the large hole in the floor. Lyon and Toby raced over to the hole, and were shocked to see what they saw.

"WHAT?!"

"NO! NOT HIM!" Toby shouted, as he spotted the familiar pink-haired at the bottom of the hole.

"Man, things break so easily when you don't want them to." Natsu said, as he wiped excess sparks of electricity from his mouth. "But when I want to break something it's a giant pain in the ass."

"You bastard..." Lyon said, leveling a harsh glare on the dragon slayer below. "What's the meaning of all this?"

"The ruins are tilted aren't they?" Natsu asked, as he cracked his knuckles; causing sparks to dance across his hands. "Now the Moon's light won't reach that demon down below."

"What the hell did you do..." Lyon growled out, gritting his teeth as he began to fill with rage. "Fairy Tail..."

"It appears that he's tilted the entire temple." Zalty said in an amused tone. "He must have destroyed half of the pillars supporting this temple, so that it would tip over on its side. That means moonlight won't reach Deliora." A delighted smirk spread across Zalty's face. "You're much smarter than you look."

"Shut the hell up!" Natsu exclaimed, as his legs became engulfed in a flurry of fire.

"Flames around his legs?" Lyon asked, quirking an eyebrow. However Lyon gasped when Natsu suddenly rocketed towards him; the flames around his legs propelling him upwards at incredible speed. All the air left Lyon's lung when Natsu headbutted him in the stomach; lifting the ice mage into the air. However Natsu was surprised when Lyon shattered into chunks of ice. "Over here." Spinning around, Natsu's eyes widened when he saw a flock of ice birds flying towards him. "You can't dodge these in midair, can you?"

Natsu gathered flames into his mouth, and fired the stream of fire at the ceiling. The flames quickly forced the dragon slayer downwards; causing Lyon's ice eagles to fly over his him. "Sorry you dick! But I can!" The pink-haired dragon slayer smirked, as he stood he stood on his hands. Seconds later flames began to shoot out of Natsu's legs. The dragon slayer swung his legs around; spreading his flames around the room.

"Such destructive magic!" Lyon exclaimed, as he dodged the raging flames that coated the room. As another wave of flames swept across the room; Lyon jumped into the air to dodge them.

"Let's see you dodge this in the air asshat!" Natsu exclaimed, as his cheeks bulged with lightning. "**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**" A thunderclap echoed throughout the room, as a streak of lightning shot towards Lyon.

"No you don't!" Zalty exclaimed, extending his hand. Instantly the ground beneath Natsu began to decay and collapse.

"WHY AM I ALWAYS FUCKING FALLING!" Natsu shouted, as fell through several of the temple's floors.

"My...you sure are a lucky man Reitei-sama." Zalty said with a smirk.

"What did you do Zalty?" Lyon asked, landing back onto his feet.

"Pardon?" Zalty replied in a confused tone; his smirk still spread across his face.

"Don't act stupid...your magic crumbled the floor, didn't it?" Lyon asked, causing Zalty to chuckle slightly.

"You're very observant Reitei-sama, you saw right through me." Zalty said, tilting his head slightly. "But please understand, I can't lose you until Deliora is revived."

"You think I'll die from such weak flames?" Lyon asked, as he clenched his fists. Ice magic flooded the room; freezing the floor and most of the walls. Lyon turned to Zalty, and glared at the masked man. "You and Toby get lost. I'll take care this nuisance myself."

"I'm going to kick the shit out of whoever did that." Natsu grunted, as he lifted himself out of the hole he had fell through.

"I, Lyon Reitei, am the only mage who can defeat Deliora." Lyon said in a dark tone, as he glared at the pink-haired dragon slayer. "It would be a disgrace to my name if I couldn't beat this nosy brat."

"My, my things are heating up." Zalty said with a grin, backing away from Lyon.

"Defeat Deliora?" Natsu parroted in a confused tone, as he finished climbing out of the hole. "He's pretty much defeated already. You'd waste all this time and effort to thaw out Deliora, just to fight it? Man you're one weird dude."

"I'm doing all this to surpass Ur..." Lyon said, as ice mage gathered in his hands. Raising his arm, a barrage of ice eagles flew towards Natsu. "And continue dreaming!"

"Then why don't you just fight Ur directly?" Natsu asked, doing his best to dodge the ice eagles.

"Ur is dead already you fool." Lyon replied, causing Natsu's eyes to widen. Gray's words from earlier ran through Natsu's mind.

_"Deliora is a demon my magic teacher, Ur, sealed at the cost of her own life." _

"So he meant she died..." Natsu said, as another wave of ice eagles flew towards him.

"It's all because of Gray!" Lyon screamed, launching another ice eagle directly at the dragon slayer. Because he was occupied with the other ice eagles; Natsu didn't notice the newest one until the last moment. Reacting quickly, Natsu raised his arm to block the frozen bird. The ice eagle smashed into Natsu's arm, creating a small explosion of ice.

"I don't know what happened in the past." Natsu said, as blood began to drip down his arm. "But there are a lot of people who are suffering because of what you're doing here. It's time for you to snap out of it..." Natsu released a growl as his fists became engulfed in lightning. "With some electroshock therapy!"

* * *

(With Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Happy)

"Lyon intends to defeat Deliora?!" Lucy exclaimed, as Erza and her followed closely behind Gray.

"Lyon has been aiming to surpass Ur for a long time." Gray explained, as he raced through the jungle. "Now that Ur is gone, he's trying to surpass her by defeating Deliora, something she couldn't do."

"I see..." Lucy said in a quite tone. "In order to surpass the dead, that'd be the only way."

"No...he just doesn't know." Gray said, clenching his teeth together. "Ur did disappear, but...she's still alive!"

"No way!" Happy exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"What do you mean, Gray?" Erza asked, surprised by this new revelation. "What happened in the past?"

"It all happened ten years ago." Gray said with a sigh, as he recalled his travels with Ur and Lyon. Erza and Lucy couldn't help but feel saddened when the ice mage retold the story of how Ur sealed Deliora using **Iced Shell**.

"Gray...I'm sorry that had to happen." Erza said, as the temple came into view.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to go through that Gray." Lucy said, feeling tears begin to form in her eyes.

"Save your apologies." Gray said, as he turned to face his friends. "There is nothing either of you could have done. It's in the past now. We have to stop Lyon."

"Right, let's find Natsu and take care of Lyon." Erza said, re-equipping a sword into her hand.

"Erza's right, we have a dragon slayer to help!" Lucy exclaimed with a grin, as she grabbed ahold of her whip.

"Then let's go find the flame brain." Gray said with a smile, just as an explosion shock the entire the temple. "Actually...he shouldn't be too hard to find."

* * *

(With Lyon and Natsu)

_"Shit! This guy is tougher than I thought!"_ Natsu thought, as he dodged another series of ice spikes. The dragon slayer gathered lightning in both his hands. "With lightning in my left hand...and lightning in my right hand...when you combine them together..." Natsu slapped his hands together; causing a large ball of electricity to form. "**Lightning Dragon's Brilliant Flash!**" A deafening thunder clap, and blinding flash of light, disoriented Lyon as Natsu threw the ball of lightning at him. Lyon quickly leaped out of the ball of lightning's path. However Natsu had planned for this, and was already behind Lyon. "You fell for it! **Fire Dragon's Claw!**" Natsu's flaming foot slammed into Lyon's back, sending him crashing into the ground. But Natsu cursed under his breath when Lyon burst into pieces of ice.

_"Damn it! This brat is better than I thought he'd be!" _Lyon cursed, as he landed back in front of Natsu. Before either mage could make a move, they were caught of guard when the ice on the wall to their right began to crack and break apart.

"What's going on?!" Natsu asked just as the wall of ice collapsed. Both Natsu and Lyon were shocked to se Gray walk into the room. "Ice princess? When did you wake up?"

"Natsu...let me take care of him." Gray said, glaring at his former fellow student

"But he kicked your ass last time!" Natsu complained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"There won't be a next time. This is it." Gray said, as he continued to glare at Lyon.

"You have such confidence, Gray." Lyon said, returning Gray's glare.

"It's my fault Ur died ten years ago...but I can't forgive you...for hurting my nakama, the village, and trying to melt the ice encasing Deliora." Gray said, crossing his arms making an "X" sign. His right arm was above his left arm with his right palm facing down and his left palm is facing up. Instantly a large magic circle formed underneath Gray's feet. "We shall both receive_ punishment_, Lyon."

"THAT POSE?!" Lyon exclaimed, as his eyes widened in shock. "**Iced Shell**?!"

"**Iced Shell**?" Natsu quietly parroted, the words ringing in his head.

_"Ur cast a magic called **Iced Shell** on this demon."_

_"It's a demon that me magic teacher, Ur, sealed at the cost of her own life."_

_"Ur is dead already you fool." _

Natsu's eyes widened, as he stared at Gray. _"Don't tell me he __intends to..." _

"H-Have you gone mad?!" Lyon exclaimed, as he took a fearful step back.

"Return the people of this island back to normal, then take your comrades and leave." Gray ordered, narrowing his eyes at Lyon. "This is your last chance."

"Oh, I see now." Lyon said as a smirk spread across his face. "That spell was just a threat...how ridiculous." Before Lyon could utter another word a massive wave of ice magic exploded off Gray. Ice magic flowed around Gray's body. An icy wind whipped throughout the room that pushed Natsu and Lyon back.

"I'm dead serious." Gray said with a look that proved he wasn't kidding.

"Why you!" Lyon exclaimed, as ice magic gathered in his hand. But before he could attack, another burst of ice magic pulsed off Gray. The wave of magic sent Lyon flying back, and made Natsu shield his eyes from the intense winds.

"The fact that Ur died because of me will never change. Regardless of how many years go by." Gray said, as his body began to freeze over in preparation for his attack. "I need to take responsibility one way or another." Lyon and Natsu's eyes widened at Gray's words. "The time has come Lyon. I'm prepared to die."

"You can't be serious!" Lyon exclaimed, as he stood back onto his feet.

"You will answer me Lyon!" Gray yelled, ice magic continuing to whirl and cascade around him. "Do we die together, or live together!?"

"Do it." Lyon said, as a maniacal smirk spread across his face. "You don't have the guts to die."

"Lyon." Gray said, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. "You disappoint me." The ice magic surrounding Gray began to increase in speed and intensity. "This is the end!" Lyon's eyes widened when six magic circles formed around him. "**Iced**..." However before Gray could complete the spell, he received a harsh punch to the face. Lyon's eyes widened, as his heart beat erratically in his chest. Looking to see who attacked him, Gray was surprised to see Natsu standing over him, panting heavily. "...Natsu."

"Don't just run on in here and start rambling on about responsibility and all that other bullshit." Natsu said in an annoyed tone. "This is _my _fight ice princess. I'm gonna take out this asshole."

"What?! I asked you to let me take care of it!" Gray exclaimed, as a scowl spread across his face.

"Yeah, and did I ever say "sure go right ahead?" Natsu asked, earning a growl from Gray. The dragon slayer grinned at Gray's sudden anger. "What? Did I make the little princess mad? You gonna attack me now?"

"I have to end this shit between me and Lyon!" Gray shouted, grabbing ahold of Natsu's scarf. The dragon slayer seemed unfazed by Gray suddenly grabbing him. "Even if it means I have to die for it!" Gray winced when Natsu grabbed onto his arm, and squeezed so tightly that veins bulged in his hand.

"So you're gonna end this by dying, huh?" Natsu asked in a cold tone. His eyes were full of rage, as he glared at Gray. "Stop running away like a little bitch." Gray let out a shaky breath, as he stared at Natsu with wide eyes. Before Gray had a chance to speak, the entire temple began to shake once again. "What the hell is going on?!"

Outside the temple, Lucy and Erza had just finished taking out most of Lyon's henchmen when they hear the commotion.

"What's that sound?" Erza asked, turning to face the temple behind them.

"No." Lucy breathed out, as her eyes widened in fear. The temple was no longer on its side, and was back to its normal position. "The temple isn't tilted anymore."

* * *

"Oh come on!" Natsu exclaimed, stomping his foot onto the ground.

"Now the Moon's light will reach Deliora." Gray said, as he grit his teeth.

"I'm sorry to disturb you." Zalty said, as he reentered the room. "The Sun will be setting soon, so I returned the temple back to its normal position."

"Zalty, that was you?" Lyon asked in a surprised tone.

"You son of a bitch! It took me so long to tilt this temple!" Natsu exclaimed, as he glared at the masked man. "How did you do that?!" The masked man simply chuckled at Natsu's question. "DON'T LAUGH YOU BASTARD! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!"

"I'm going to go start the **Moon Drip** ritual." Zalty said, as he ran out of the room. Natsu's eyes filled with fury at being ignored by the masked man. However Natsu's eyes widened, as a scent hit his nose.

_"Wait, this scent. That guy smells familiar." _Natsu thought, as he tried to remember the scent. _"I know that scent. I've met that guy somewhere before."_

"Alright! Bring it on you masked bastard!" Natsu roared, as he began to chase after Zalty. _"I will find out who you are!" _

"Natsu!" Gray exclaimed, reaching out to the pink-haired dragon slayer.

"I'm gonna give that guy a million ass whoopings!" Natsu shouted, as he turned to look at Gray. "You stay and take care of Lyon! And don't disgrace Fairy Tail's name!"

"I know." Gray said, as he turned back around to face Lyon.

"*Sigh* Are you all this noisy?" Lyon asked, shaking his head.

"Earlier...when I was about to use **Iced Shell** on you, did you expect Natsu to stop me?" Gray questioned, causing a small smile to spread across Lyon's face.

"No...I never imagined he would get near the spell." Lyon replied, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"So you were going to take it?" Gray continued his questioning with a skeptical look.

"Yes." Lyon answered, nodding his head. "But I figured that I'd be rescued somehow. That's why I told you to use **Iced Shell**." As large smirk suddenly spread across Lyon's face. "Even if you'd encased me in ice, I still have my comrades. And we're on the island where **Iced Shell** can be melted with **Moon Drip**."

"Damn it, I was too rash." Gray cursed under his breath. "**Iced Shell** is completely useless here."

"So do you still intend to fight me?" Lyon asked with an amused look. "You do know that you can never defeat m-"

"Let's stop this." Gray said, causing Lyon's eyes to widen in shock. "Please, give up on Deliora."

"What is this nonsense you're spewing now?" Lyon asked with a light chuckle. "First a threat, now you're trying to persuade me?"

"Lyon...listen to me." Gray said, his body going rigid as he prepared for what he was about to say. "...Ur is alive." Lyon's eyes slowly widened, as this new revelation sunk in. "**Iced Shell **is a spell that transforms the caster's body into ice. The ice that is sealing Deliora, the ice you've been trying to melt, is actually Ur." Lyon inhaled sharply, as he continued to stare unbelievingly at Gray. "Ur...is alive...as the ice." Gray had an ashamed look, as he hung his head. "I'm so sorry for not telling you this sooner...but I promised Ur."

"Gray..." Lyon said in a dark tone. His silver hair hiding his, as he hung his head. The ice mage slowly began to walk towards Gray.

"Lyon, let's just st-" Gray never got to finish, as he suddenly felt something pierce his stomach. Coughing up blood, Gray looked down and was shocked to see an ice sword impaled through his stomach. Turning his head, Gray saw that Lyon had an evil smirk on his face.

"I already know all that, Gray." Lyon whispered into Gray's ear. "You're just wasting your breath. That's not Ur anymore. It's just ice scraps now." Gray gasped in pain when Lyon yanked the ice sword out of his stomach. As soon as the sword was free, Gray collapsed to the ground.

"Y-You...you knew?" Gray asked, clutching his profusely bleeding wound.

"Don't tell me you seriously believed that Ur was still alive, right?" Lyon said, as he watched Gray writhe in pain. "Grow up already."

"You knew it...but still did this..." Gray rasped out, as rage filled his body.

* * *

(With Natsu and Zalty)

"Wait up! You masked bastard!" Natsu yelled, as he caused Zalty through the temple. "Who are you?!" Zalty raised his arm, and the ceiling above Natsu began to collapse. "This won't stop me!" Natsu quickly destroyed the falling debris with a flaming kick. Zalty waved his hand once again, and the debris surrounding Natsu began to repair the ceiling. "What the..."

"As you can see, I repaired the temple like this." Zalty said with a wide smirk.

"Wh-What was that magic?" Natsu asked, as he watched the ceiling fix itself.

"A type of 'lost magic.' It's a magic that was erased from history, because of its incredible power and the gravity of its side effects." Zalty explained, as Natsu turned to face him again. "Just like your magic, dragon slayer."

"History?" Natsu parroted, but the pink-haired dragon slayer's eyes widened when he saw that the masked man was gone. "He disappeared! Where did he go!?" Natsu released a slight growl, as he scanned around the room. _"I know that scent from somewhere. I will unmask you."_

* * *

(Back with Gray and Lyon)

"Well I'm going to assist Zalty, and finish the **Moon Drip** ceremony." Lyon said with a evil smile, as he began to turn away from Gray. "Have fun bleeding out." But before Lyon could leave; Gray lunged forward, and hit Lyon with a powerful punch. Lyon was sent skidding back, as blood poured from his nose.

"Impossible!" Lyon spat, coming to a stop. "How can you move with that injury?!"

"I'm sick of this..." Gray breathed out, causing a confused look to spread across Lyon's face. "I wanted to save you, but now I'm sick of your shit." Gray instantly formed a bow out of ice, and prepared three arrows. Before Lyon could even think of dodging; the three arrows hit him in the chest. Lyon was sent tumbling back by the force of the arrows. But Gray didn't let up. Charging forward, Gray kicked Lyon in the stomach; knocking the wind out of Lyon. Gray then grabbed Lyon by the front of his shirt, and punched him again. The punch sent Lyon crashing into the wall.

"I can't be...bleeding..." Lyon struggled to say, as he fought to stand back on his feet. "Because of Gray!" A furious look formed on Lyon's face, as he raised his arm. "**Ice Make: Snow Dragon!**" The room began to shake, as a massive dragon made out of ice flew towards Gray. The ice dragon caught Gray in between its large jaws. Gray grunted in pain when the ice dragon slammed him into the ground. "I don't want to waste my magical power on you...After this, I have to be prepared for my battle with Deliora."

"I...won't...let you." Gray grunted out, as he lifted himself back onto his knees.

"Just stop struggling already; Deliora will be revived in no time." Lyon said with an evil laugh. "No one can stop it now..."

"I will stop it..." Gray said, glaring at Lyon.

"You say that even though Zalty is taking care of the **Moon Drip** ritual." Lyon said with a cocky attitude. "Will you beg for mercy now?"

"Don't underestimate Natsu!" Gray said, as a large grin spread across his face.

* * *

(Deliora's Chamber)

"It's time..." Zalty said, approaching the still frozen Deliora.

"I finally found you!" Zalty quickly spun around to see Natsu's body engulfed in flames, as he shot towards him. "Show me your damn face!"

"Oho, what a strange thing to say." Zalty said, as he dodged the dragon slayer's attack. Natsu crashed into the ground where Zalty had been; causing a cloud of dust and debris to kick up. "But how did you find me?"

"My sense of smell is amazing." Natsu replied, tapping his nose. "And I know I've caught your scent before. I know you're a woman, so you might as well take off that ridiculous disguise."

"Hmm, you're much smarter than you appear Natsu Dragneel." Zalty said, as he took of his mask. Natsu's eyes widened when he saw that Zalty was the dark-haired woman he had scene next to Siegrain when he had went to the council. A playful smirk spread across the woman's face when she saw Natsu's surprised expression. "Oh, you seemed rather shocked to see me."

"You're that woman that was standing next to Siegrain!" Natsu exclaimed, as he pointed at the woman. "What's your name?!"

"I don't really have time to play with you, dragon boy." The dark-haired woman said, as she turned to look at Deliora. "I really have to revive Deliora, you see."

"Well don't even bother. It's too late." Natsu said with a confident grin.

"Oh, and why is that?" The dark-haired woman asked with an amused look.

"Gray will take care of Lyon. And I will defeat you." Natsu said with determination in his voice. "And that's the end of it."

"Is that so?" The woman asked, as she watched a sliver of purple light pour in from the ceiling. Natsu's eyes widened when he saw turned around to see purple light hitting Deliora.

"Th-The light?!" Natsu exclaimed, as he looked up at the ceiling. "Is someone performing the ritual up there?!" Up on top of the temple Toby was chanting and bowing, as he solely performed the **Moon Drip** ritual.

"The **Moon Drip's **effect is rather weak with only one worshipper." The woman explained with a small smirk. "But to tell you the truth we already have enough moonlight." To prove her point the ice encasing Deliora began to melt. "Hmm, it's starting I see."

"Oh fuck!" Natsu exclaimed, as he watched the ice begin to melt. "Deliora's ice is beginning to melt!" The pink-haired dragon slayer quickly spun around, and started to run out of the room. "Shit! I fucked up! I gotta go take out that guy up top!" Natsu let up a yelp when the ground underneath him suddenly collapsed. "You made me fall AGAIN!" Natsu glared up at the dark-haired woman. "I'm going to kill you."

"I can't have you running away." The woman said, as Natsu crawled out of the hole. "How about this, Natsu-kun. If you can beat me, I'll tell you my name."

"Shit..." Natsu said under his breath, as he turned to look at Deliora. The demon was melting rather quickly, but the woman wouldn't let Natsu leave to stop the ritual. "Fine, but you better hold your end of the bargain!" Natsu raced forward, and swung a flaming fist at the woman.

"Do you think it's wise to your **Fire Dragon Slayer** magic under these circumstances." The woman asked, as she jumped away from Natsu's attack. "You're only accelerating the melting process."

"I thought you'd want the ice to melt faster, no?" Natsu asked, as the flames surrounding him roared brighter and stronger. "I know that my flames can't melt that ice. So I'm gonna take care of you as quickly as possible, and then take out that guy up top."

"Mmm, you're full of surprises Natsu-kun." The woman complimented with a small smile. "Your quick reflexes and flexibility while fighting are very impressive."

* * *

(Back with Gray and Lyon)

"The ruins are shaking again." Gray observed, as he stood across from Lyon. Both ice mages were bloodied and battered from their ongoing fight.

"The **Moon Drip** ritual has started." Lyon said with a victorious smirk. "Deliora's ice is melting as we speak." Gray's eyes widened, as he thought of his teacher's ice melting away. "I guess this it. You couldn't stop us. How long I've waited for this day...for ten long years I've gathered knowledge and recruited comrades. I eventually learned of this place." Lyon explained, as a flock of ice eagles began to circle around him. "Galuna Island where the moonlight gathers." The ice eagles suddenly shot forward, and began to pelt Gray. "We transported Deliora here from Brago. That was almost three years ago."

"So you've wasted three years of you life on such a ridiculous thing." Gray said, as he sent out a burst of ice magic that destroyed the remaining ice eagles.

"Ridiculous?" Lyon parroted, as his eyes filled with outrage. "How can you say that, when you've been playing around in some guild for ten years?!" Gray covered his head, to block a large piece of ice dropped by Lyon.

"I just believed in Ur's words." Gray said, as ice debris fell around him.

_"If you head to western countries you'd find tons of mages stronger than me." _

"Fairy Tail is where I wound up." Gray said, locking eyes with Lyon. "Ur was right; There are some incredibly strong mages there. I couldn't believe the power of some of them." Gray closed his eyes as he remembered the first time he had asked Makarov about **Iced Shell**.

_"That can't be done. **Iced Shell** is created from the caster's own will. No other magic is capable of melting its ice."_

_"B-But you have so many amazing mages here!" _

_"Hmm, there is one method. But you cannot do it. Melting that ice practically means killing this Ur person you've told me of." _

"Now that I think about it jii-san was probably talking about **Moon Drip**." Gray said, leveling anger filled eyes on Lyon. "I'm really disappointed to learn that my senior wants to do something that'll kill Ur."

"Whatever..." Lyon said with an amused look. "I've been looking forward to this day for years." Lyon charged towards Gray with a tiger made out of ice encasing his arm. "Now that Ur is dead, think carefully of how we, her left behind pupils, will surpass her! With Deliora! I will surpass Ur by defeating Deliora, which is the one thing she couldn't do!" Lyon launched the ice tiger at Gray, but he quickly dodged it. "Your aspirations are admirable, but you've failed to notice that you've taken the wrong path."

"How can someone so blind try to surpass Ur?!" Gray shouted in an angry tone. "You're 100 years too early for that!" Gray formed a sword made of ice, and slashed at Lyon. Because he was so close, Lyon was unable to dodge the attack. Gray's ice sword swiped across Lyon's stomach. But like with Natsu, Lyon crumbled into a pile of ice.

"**Ice Make**..." Gray spun around to see Lyon above him. "**Snow Tiger!**" A massive tiger made out of ice, that filled a large portion of the room, towered over Gray. When the ice beast swiped its sharp claws at Gray; the ice mage jumped over its attack.

"**Ice Make: Prison!**" A large ice cage fell to the ground, trapping Lyon's ice tiger. "Is that all you've got Lyon? What a pitiful creature."

"Ridiculous! I'll just crush your molding magic..." Lyon said, as his ice tiger tried, and failed, to smash out of Gray's **Ice Prison**.

"One-handed molding magic is unbalanced." Gray said, landing back onto the ground. "That's why you're not capable of using your full power at crucial times." Gray punched his fist into his palm, as large amount of ice magic gathered around him. "**Ice Make: Cannon!**" Gray fired a massive ice projectile from the launcher that hit Lyon square in the chest. Lyon roared in pain, as he was sent crashing into the wall behind him. The ice mage had impacted the wall so hard that it collapsed. "That's what Ur taught us."

"G-...Gra-...y" Lyon managed to say before he coughed up a large amount of blood. Letting out one last gargled breath, Lyon fell backwards, defeated.

"Gah!" Gray exclaimed, as his sword wound from before suddenly began to bleed heavily again. The dark-haired ice mage panted, as he froze over his injury. "Shit...I should've stopped the bleeding first." Suddenly a deafening roar echoed throughout the entire island. "T-That roar...I can never forget it."

"Deliora..." Lyon breathed out, as he stared up at the ceiling.

_"Shit, it's been revived." _Gray thought, tightly clenching his fists. _"I've got no choice...I'll have to use **Iced Shell**__." _

* * *

(In Deliora's Chamber)

"My fucking ears!" Natsu yelled over the thunderous roar; his ears starting to ring. "I going to go deaf!" Natsu's eyes widened when Deliora completely broke out of the ice next to him. "FUCK!"

"There it is!" The woman exclaimed with a delighted look. "It's finally here!"

In another part of the temple Erza, Lucy, and Happy were still searching for Natsu and Gray. There search had led them towards the top level of the temple.

"That roar...could it be that Deliora demon you've told me about?" Erza asked, turning to face Lucy.

"No...it can't be...it's been revived already?!" Lucy exclaimed in a fearful tone, her eyes widening.

"Guys. it's the light from before!" Happy exclaimed, pointing to some purple light that was pouring in from the ceiling. "It's **Moon Drip**." Just then another deafening roar shook the temple.

"Again..." Erza said, rubbing her chin. "We heard Deliora's roar, but the **Moon Drip** ritual is still going on. Meaning Deliora isn't fully revived yet." Erza's eyes widened, as she suddenly started pulling Lucy towards the nearest staircase. "Come on, we have to move!"

"Wait Erza! Deliora is way below us!" Lucy pointed out, as she continued to be pulled by the scarlet haired knight.

"If we stop the ritual, we can still stop the revival!" Erza explained, as he raced up the stairs with Lucy in tow. "We have to hurry!"

Back in Deliora's Natsu cursed under his breath for taking so long to defeat the dark-haired woman.

"Alright! Enough wasting time!" Natsu exclaimed, as he engulfed his body in flames. "Here I come!" But before Natsu could attack, he had to dodge a crystal ball that was shot towards him. The crystal ball missed the dragon slayer, but it bounced off the wall and came right back at him. Dodging again, the crystal ball returned to the dark-haired woman.

"I was thinking the same thing, Natsu-kun." The woman said, as she waved her arm. Once again the crystal orb shot towards Natsu.

"Enough!" Natsu roared, catching the crystal orb single handed. The woman's eyes widened when she saw the dragon slayer crush her crystal ball with his bare hands. "I'm sick of your bullshit!"

"My, my Natsu-kun you just keep impressing me." The woman said with a small smile, as she flicked her wrist. The destroyed crystal orb at Natsu's feet reformed, and shot up at him.

"I SAID ENOUGH!" Natsu yelled, as he caught the orb once again. The dragon slayer cocked his arm back; lightning sparking off his entire arm. "How's a taste of your own medicine!" Natsu charged the orb with electricity, and hurled it at the woman. With it's new electrical charge, the orb reached the woman in a blink of an eye. Despite its incredible speed, the woman managed to dodge the orb's full force. Quickly jumping to the right, the orb merely nicked the woman's arm. The orb crashed into the wall, and shattered to pieces once again. However the woman waved her hand, and the orb returned to her good as new. "Damn it, that thing fixed itself again!"

"I can manipulate an object's _time_." The woman explained, rubbing her grazed arm. "Meaning I returned the crystal back to a time before it was broken."

"Time!?" Natsu exclaimed with a confused look on his face. "That's impossible!"

"**Arc of Time **is a lost magic." The woman said with a smirk. "Why don't we move the crystal's time into the future?" Suddenly the crystal disappeared from the woman's hand. A sudden whooshing sound alerted Natsu that the orb was behind him. Coating his hand in flames, Natsu destroyed the crystal orb.

"Useless." The woman said, as the orb reformed midair; striking Natsu in the gut. The orb began to fly around Natsu, but when he went to destroy it again the orb stopped in its place.

"It stopped?" Natsu said, quirking a pink eyebrow.

"Indeed...I can even stop the orb's time." The woman explained, as Natsu peered into the crystal ball.

"I'm guessing this magic of yours doesn't work on humans." Natsu observes, earning a chuckle from the dark-haired woman.

"A+ Natsu-kun, you're on _fire _right now." The woman said with smirk. "My magic doesn't work on any living creature to be exact. That's why I can't undo the ice, because it's actually Ur."

"I don't get you at all." Natsu said, earning a confused look from the woman. "You want to revive Deliora so Lyon can defeat it. It's Lyon's idea, so it's oaky for him...but what would his comrades gain?"

"No idea." The woman replied with a shrug. "I just joined the group recently."

"And what about you? What is you objective? Don't you work for the council?" Natsu questioned, pointing at the woman.

"Oho, you're just too smart Natsu-kun. I'm not here on council business. I alternative motives." The woman replied with a small grin. "Reitei-sama...I mean, that brat is no match for Deliora. He can't defeat it."

"But that's terrible! Are you gonna try to defeat it?!" Natsu asked, causing the woman to chuckle.

"I'm afraid not, Natsu-kun." The woman smiled, as she looked at Deliora. "I want to make the demon mine." Natsu's eyes widened at this new information. "Even though it's an immortal demon, there are ways to manipulate it. Wouldn't it be amazing to have Deliora under my command."

"Meh, sounds stupid to me." Natsu said with a slight shrug. "I kinda wasted my time asking...I thought that maybe you had a burning passion to accomplish something...and..."

"You just don't understand yet." The woman said, turning her back to Natsu. "But there are times when you'll need _power_."

"When that time is upon us I'll just trust my nakama and my own power." Natsu said, igniting his fist in bright flames. An image of all his nakama appeared in Natsu's mind, with Lucy, Erza, and Mirajane standing at the front of the group. "The power of us, Fairy Tail mages."

"Vanity will destroy you." The woman said, as she raised her arm towards the ceiling. "Ceiling, accelerate thy time and crumble." The ceiling above Natsu began to collapse towards the ground.

"Each and every one of you; wrecking this island for the stupidest reasons ever!" Natsu roared, as a vein bulged on his forehead. "I've had enough of all of you!" Natsu's legs became surrounded in flames, as he rocketed towards the woman.

"Let's see if my **Arc of Time **can extinguish those harsh flames." The woman said, as a volley of debris shot towards Natsu.

"You're leaving this island now!" Natsu exclaimed, as a launched a wall of blinding fire at the debris. When the fire and smoke cleared, the woman was surprised to see that Natsu was gone.

"He's not here!?" The woman exclaimed in shock, as she began to search around the room.

"I can manipulate time as well, you bitch!" Natsu yelled, as he appeared on the ceiling above the woman. "I can control the future! I'll send you flying in a second!" Natsu cocked a flaming fist back. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu's flaming fist connected with the woman stomach, sending her flying backwards. "I expect to learn your name real soon." Natsu said, as a triumphant grin spread across his face.

On the temple's roof Erza had raced forward, and quickly dispatched Toby. The dogman lay in a heap on the ground, nursing his new wounds.

"Great job Erza! You stopped **Moon Drip**!" Lucy cheered, as she ran up to Erza.

"IT'S TOO LATE ALREADY! YOU FAILED!" Toby exclaimed in an angry tone. "THE RITUAL IS COMPLETE!"

"N-No." Erza and Lucy breathed out, as another tremendous roar rang out.

Back in Deliora's chamber Natsu stood defiantly before the freshly released demon. The dragon slayer clenched his fists, as he stared the demon down. This is the scene Gray stumbled upon, when he entered Deliora's chamber. Walking closer to Natsu, the ice mage was surprised when he suddenly found himself knee deep in water. A sad look spread across Gray's face, as he scooped up a handful of water.

_"Ur_." Gray thought, the water running down his arm.

"Gray! When did you get here!?" Raising his head, Gray saw that Natsu was now staring at him. The dragon slayer had a slightly worried look on his face. "Now that Deliora's been revived, we've got no other choice! We have to take this bastard down!"

"Hahaha...it's impossible for you guys..." Gray and Natsu's eyes widened when they saw Lyon crawling into the chamber. The ice mage had a crazed look on his face, as he advanced towards Deliora. "Let...me...fight Deliora...to surpass...Ur..."

"Tch, it's even more impossible for you! So stay the hell back!" Natsu exclaimed, pointing at Lyon.

"We...finally...meet..." Lyon said, as Deliora released another roar. "Deliora..." With great effort, Lyon managed to barely stand up on his feet. "The only...monster that Ur couldn't defeat...I will defeat it...with my own hands...right now...I will...surpass...you now..." Lyon began to shuffle towards Deliora, but ice mage let out a gasp when Gray chopped him in the back of the neck. With a low groan, Lyon collapsed to the ground.

"That's enough Lyon." Gray said, as he crossed his arms once again. "Leave this to me. I'll seal Deliora." Like before, ice magic began to fiercely swirl around Gray.

"**Iced Shell!**" Lyon exclaimed, gritting his teeth. "D-Don't Gray! How long do you think I spent melting that ice!? History will just repeat itself! Eventually I'll melt the ice...to challenge Deliora again!"

"This is the only way." Gray said, as frost and ice began to cover his body. "This is...the only way to stop Deliora now."

"Step aside ice princess." Natsu said, stepping in front of Gray. "I'll fight it."

"Move you ass! You're in the way!" Gray exclaimed in an angry tone.

"I stopped you earlier, because I didn't want you to die." Natsu said, turning his head to look at Gray. "Didn't my voice reach you?" Gray's eyes widened when he heard this, and the ice magic surrounding him began to die down. "You remember when Lisanna died right? I won't put our nakama through that ever again."

"Natsu..." Gray breathed out, as the ice covering his body completely disappeared. Gray and Lyon's eyes widened when Deliora reared its arm back. The demon let out a mighty roar, as it prepared to strike. "LOOK OUT!"

"I won't give up until the end!" Natsu roared, as he coated his fists in electricity. However before the demon could attack, cracks began to spread across its body. Suddenly Deliora's arm fell off, along with several other body parts.

"W-What the!" Natsu yelled, jumping back to avoid the collapsing demon. As soon as Natsu jumped away, Deliora's head landed where he had just been standing.

"N-No way..." Lyon said, clenching his fist in rage. "This can't be!" Lyon pressed his head against the ground, as he fought back tears. "Deliora...was long dead. For ten years...Deliora was trapped in Ur's ice. And we...are witnessing its final moment..." Lyon choked back a sob, as tears began to fall from his eyes. "I'm no match...I'll never surpass Ur."

"Gray..." Natsu said, placing his hand on the ice mage's shoulder. "Your teacher was amazing."

_"Gray, I'll seal away your darkness."_

"Thank you so much..." Gray said, tears falling from his eyes as he remembered Ur's words. "Teacher."

"Come on, let's get out of here." Natsu said, giving Gray's shoulder a quick squeeze. But before Natsu began to leave Deliora's chamber, he suddenly remembered something. "Shit! That woman never told me her name!" As if on cue a piece of paper floated down from the ceiling. The dragon slayer reached out, and caught the paper. On further inspection Natsu saw that it was a note addressed to him.

_"You really are full of surprises, Natsu-kun. Since I am a woman of my word, my name is Ultear. I look forward to our future meetings. And next time we fight, I won't go easy on you." _

"Ultear, eh?" Natsu said, burning the note into ashes. "I won't be going easy on you next time, either."

"Alright Lyon, let's go." Gray said, as he helped Lyon onto the his feet. Lyon had to lean heavily on Gray, as the three mages made their way out of the temple. When Natsu reached the temple's exit he was surprised to see Erza, Lucy, and Happy waiting for him.

"Erza?!" Natsu exclaimed in shocked tone. "When did you get here?!"

"Yesterday." Erza replied, as he she pulled Natsu into a tight hug. A small smile spread across Natsu's face, as he returned Erza's embrace. However the moment was ruined when Natsu heard a growl come from Erza. A moment later, the dragon slayer received a harsh slap across the face. "Don't you EVER do something so fucking stupid ever again! Do you have any idea how worried I was?! Mira was a wreck too! If you'd wanted to go on an S-class mission, you should have just asked me! I would have gladly taken you!"

"S-Sorry Erza." Natsu said, hanging his head in shame. "I...I just wanted to prove to Laxus that I was worth fighting."

"Why would you want to do that?" Erza asked, her anger beginning to fade.

"Because that bastard insulted your strength." Natsu said, clenching his fists in anger. Erza's eyes widened when she heard this, and her face began to tinge pink. "I can handle him berating me, but I won't stand for him insulting my nakama, especially you Erza."

"Natsu...you don't have to prove yourself to Laxus." Erza said with a warm smile. "You're the most amazing mage I know."

"Yeah!" Lucy chirped with a wide grin. "Laxus can go fuck himself! You're the strongest mage I know, Natsu!"

"R-Really?" Natsu asked, raising his head.

"Aye Sir!" Happy cheered, as he flew into Natsu's chest.

"Thank you guys." Natsu said, as he pulled Lucy and Erza in for a quick hug. Both girl's faces reddened at the sudden contact with the dragon slayer. When Natsu released the girls, a massive grin spread across his face. Erza and Gray smiled when Natsu released a loud cheer. "Yeah! It's done! We did it!"

"I was kinda worried a few times back there." Lucy said, releasing an exhausted sigh. "Ur-san is truly amazing."

"We've completed an S-class mission!" Natsu cheered, pulling Lucy in for another hug. The blonde let out a surprised squeak when Natsu began to spin her around. "We did it Luce!"

"Do this mean we can go on the second floor now?!" Lucy asked, as her eyes lit up.

"We're not finished yet." Erza with an amused smirk. "The mission was to help the villagers, who were turned into demons. So that means our S-class mission hasn't ended yet."

"B-But Deliora died..." Lucy reasoned, as Natsu set her back down. "So the curse on the village should be..."

"No..." Erza cut Lucy off, shaking her head. "The curse wasn't caused by Deliora. **Moon Drip's **enormous magical power has harmed these people. There's no way the situation has changed, because of Deliora disappearing."

"Shit." Lucy cursed under her breath.

"Then let's go heal them then!" Natsu said with a toothy grin, as he gave Happy a high five.

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, jumping into the air.

"How do we fix this?" Gray asked, turning his head to look at Lyon.

"I dunno." Lyon said, causing everyone to groan in annoyance.

"But if you guys don't know about it. How will we break the curse on the island?" Lucy asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"We've know about the villagers ever since we came to this island three years ago." Lyon explained, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "We didn't interfere with the villagers at all. They've never come near us, either."

"Never for three years?" Erza muttered, raising a scarlet eyebrow.

"Come to think of it, the light from **Moon Drip** should've shined down on the ruins almost every night." Lucy said, as she rubbed her chin. "It's strange that they've never investigated the temple."

"I have some doubts about **Moon Drip's **effects on a human body." Lyon said, as he gazed up at the Moon.

"What? Don't give me some bullshit about how 'it's not your fault" Natsu said in an annoyed tone.

"My comrades and I have basked in the same light for three years." Lyon said, causing everyone's eyes to widen. "Be careful, those villagers are hiding something. Well...form her on out it's Fairy Tail's job."

"I won't let you just get away...you destroyed the village an-" Natsu was stopped when Erza slapped a hand over his mouth.

"They had their own justice." Erza said, remembering what Toby told her about Sherry and himself. How they both had lost their families to Deliora. "Natsu, there's no use whining about the past. Let's get going." Erza grabbed Natsu by the back of his vest, and started dragging him back towards the village.

"You say 'let's go' but how do we break the curse?" Lucy asked, following closely behind Erza.

"No idea." Erza replied, as she dragged the pouting dragon slayer.

"O-Okay." Lucy said in a confused tone.

As Lyon watched the three Fairy Tail mages walk off, he noticed that Gray was staring at him.

"What are you looking at?" Lyon asked, feigning annoyance.

"You should join a guild." Gray said, as he turned to leave. "You'll have nakama and rivals. I'm sure you'll find a new goal." With one last wave, Gray began to follow after his friends.

"R-Ridiculous, just leave already." Lyon said, avoiding Gray's gaze.

* * *

(Storage Area)

"Where is everyone?" Lucy asked, as the Fairy Tail mages reentered the storage are they had stayed the previous night.

"This is where everyone was?" Natsu asked, searching around the area.

"Yeah, because the village was destroyed." Lucy replied, as she looked around the camp. "But...where is everyone?"

"Well, while we're here I'm gonna grab some ointment and bandages." Gray said, entering one of the tents.

"HELLO! FAIRY TAIL MAGES!" A villager yelled, as he sprinted towards them. "PLEASE HURRY BACK TO THE VILLAGE!" Sharing a confused look, the Fairy Tail mages followed the man back to the village. When the mages arrived, they were stunned to see that the village was completely fine; as if it had never been destroyed.

"Wha-What's going on here?" Lucy breathed out, as she released a slight gasp.

"Yesterday the village was destroyed, but now..." Happy said, staring at the village with wide eyes.

"It's all back to normal." Natsu said to himself, as he tapped on one of the hut's "It's as if time has been reversed." Suddenly Natsu's eyes widened, as a small smile spread across his face. "No way...did Ultear do this? Huh, I guess she's not so bad after all."

"If everything's back to normal we should see if our stuff's back!" Lucy exclaimed, as she began to run towards where they had stayed on their first night in the village. But Lucy stopped when she saw Moka sitting in front of Bobo's grave; which had also been returned to normal. _"I see...Bobo-san's grave is back to normal. What a relief." _Lucy was surprised when Moka suddenly turned his head to look at her.

"Are you the ones who returned the village back to normal?" Moka asked, fully turning to face Lucy.

"Eh...not really." Lucy replied with a nervous chuckle, as she rubbed the back of her head.

"We are still grateful. BUT!" Lucy was taken aback by Moka suddenly raising his voice. "Mages! Please do tell...When will you destroy the Moon for us?!"

"It'll be easy to destroy the Moon." Erza said, walking up to Lucy and Moka. Lucy's eyes widened when she heard Erza say such a crazy thing. "But before that, I want to confirm something. Would you mind gathering all the villagers together?" Moka nodded, and began to round up all of the villagers. About five minutes later, Erza stood before the entire village. "Let me get this straight. You all gained this appearance after the purple Moon appeared. Is that right?"

"To be exact...we only turn into this appearance when the Moon is out." Moka replied, causing Erza to nod her head.

"By your account this all started three years ago." Erza said, as she began to pace back and forth. "But...the **Moon Drip** ceremony has been held daily for three years on this island. You should've seen the rays of light hitting the temple every night." Lucy eyes narrowed, as she watched Erza pace back and forth. The blonde's eyes suddenly shot open when she saw that Erza was about to walk over one of her pitfalls. "KYAH!" Erza screamed, as she fell into the hole.

"Even Lucy's pitfall was restored." Happy said with a disbelieving look.

"S-She said 'kyah" Natsu said with a slight blush across his face. _"That was really cute." _

"It wasn't my fault! It wasn't my fault!" Lucy began to chant over and over again.

"Meaning that the temple was the most suspicious place on the island." Erza said, as she climbed out of the hole; acting as if nothing had happened. Everyone sweatdropped, as they watched Erza continue to pace. "Why didn't you investigate the temple?"

"Because it's a tradition to not go near the ruins." Moka replied, in a not to convincing tone.

"Can you please tell the truth?" Erza asked, causing Moka to release a heavy sigh.

"To be truthful, we have no idea what's going on either." Moka admitted, looking Erza in the eyes. "Honestly...we tried to investigate the ruins several times. We gathered a bunch of unfamiliar weapons, and headed to the ruins many times. But we couldn't get close to it. We noticed that even if we walked straight towards the temple, we wound up in front of the village gates. We just cannot get anywhere near the ruins."

"What do you mean you couldn't approach the ruins?" Lucy asked in a surprised tone.

"We could get into the ruins no problem." Natsu said, quirking an eyebrow.

"We kept it silent, because you wouldn't believe such a story." One of the villagers said."

"Just as I thought..." Erza said, surprising everyone.

Up in a distant tree, Ultear watched the Fairy Tail mages with a small smirk. The dark-haired woman clutched the burn mark on her stomach, where Natsu had punched her. "Amazing that Titania, she's already figured it out. Hmm, Fairy Tail is full of interesting mages."

"Natsu, follow me." Erza ordered, as her entire body began to glow. "**Re-equip! The Giant's Armor!**" When the light down, Erza was donned in her new armor. The armor featured a barbaric appearance and was adorned with numerous fur trimmings around the armor's joints. The armor was also complemented with blue ornamental stripes over each piece of armor and golden animal-like ears with a blue stripe across each ear. The breastplate featured a medallion similar in shape to a four-leaf clover over the armor's collar and displayed a blue ornamented cross over her abdomen. The pauldrons are massive in size and featured a unique design where the shouldered-sections are pointed upwards. The edges were decorated with the blue ornamental stripes and the armor's sleeves were lined with fur. The armor's skirt was composed of intricately designed golden plates that donned a fur-lined edge around the skirt and covered the upper part of Erza's thighs. The skirt was embellished with a brown leather belt that grasped the skirt around her hips. The armor indistinguishably featured two different gauntlet's on both arms. The left gauntlet covered her forearm and had a fur lining around the wrist, whereas the right gauntlet, which lacked fur, was noticeably larger and rounder as it extended down to her hand. The right gauntlet featured a round red gem over the wrist-section of the gauntlet. The knee guards sported protruding metal ornaments reminiscent of Dragon's wings, and the plates that partially covered Erza's thighs were held up by straps tied behind her legs. The greaves had fur sprouting from both the knee and the ankle areas. "We're gonna destroy the Moon."

"FUCH YEAH!" Natsu cheered, as a childish smile spread across his face.

"I'll destroy the Moon, and everyone will return to normal." Erza said calmly, while Gray, Lucy, and Happy had shocked looks on their faces. The scarlet haired knight ascended a nearby lookout with Natsu following closely behind.

"Erza...if we're going to destroy the Moon, shouldn't we go to the temple. It's higher up." Natsu reasoned, as he stood next to Erza.

"Here's fine." Erza said, as she gazed up at the Moon. "Also, the villagers can't go near the temple."

"Destroying the Moon...even if it's Erza, I don't think it's possible." Gray commented, placing his hands in his pockets.

"H-How is she g-gonna do it?" Lucy asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and worry.

"**The Giant's Armor** increases one's throwing power." Erza said, as a massive extravagant spear re-equipped into her hand. "And this spear is the **De-Malevo-Lance**, which subdues darkness."

"You're just gonna chuck that and break the Moon!" Natsu exclaimed with immature excitement. "Whoa, awesome!"

_"More like impossible." _Gray and Lucy thought with deadpanned looks.

"Natsu, my armor is likely not enough to reach the Moon." Erza said, getting the dragon slayer's attention. "I want you to use your **Fire Dragon Slayer** magic to give my spear a boost. Just hit the end of the spear as hard as you can. Together, with my armor's throwing power, we'll break the Moon."

"Hell yeah! I gotcha!" Natsu said with a wide grin.

"Good, let's do this." Erza said, as she raised her spear.

"They're both way too into this." Gray said with a sweat drop.

"D-Don't tell me they're actually gonna destroy the Moon" Lucy said in a nervous tone.

"Ready Natsu!?" Erza exclaimed, as she cocked her arm back.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu roared, as he punched the back of Erza's spear. When Natsu's flaming fist made contact with the spear, two massive jets of flames fired out of the back of the spear.

"Reach it!" Erza yelled, as she hurled the spear towards the Moon. The spear took of like a rocket towards the Moon. But after a few moment's the spear seemed to have reached its target. A loud crash was heard, as cracks started to spread across the Moon's surface.

"NO WAY!" Lucy and Gray exclaimed, as their jaws dropped. The villagers let out a loud cheer, thinking that the Moon was destroyed. But after a few moments crystal-like debris began to fall towards the ground; revealing that the Moon was undamaged.

"The Moon's completely fine!?" Natsu exclaimed in a somewhat disappointed tone.

"The Moon didn't break..." Lucy said, as sparkling debris showered over the village. "But the sky did."

"What's going on?" Natsu breathed out, as he watched the shining debris rain down.

"The island was covered by an evil barrier." Erza explained, causing a confused look to spread across Natsu's face. "Think of it as toxic fumes created by **Moon Drip**. It crystallized, and created a barrier in the sky. That's why the Moon appeared purple. The evil barrier is broken...now the island will regain its original shine." As Erza explained this all the villagers began to glow brightly. The villagers expected to be returned to normal, but they were confused when still appeared as demons.

"But...the villagers didn't return to normal." Gray pointed out.

"No...this is their normal appearance." Erza said, shocking everyone. "The evil barrier affected their memory, not their appearance. 'We become demons at night.' Wrong thoughts like that."

"N-N-No way." Lucy stammered out, as she caught onto what Erza was say; her eyes widening in shock.

"That's how it is." Erza said with a small smile. "They were demons to begin with." A collective gasp sounded amongst the villagers, as they began to murmur amongst themselves. "They had the ability to transform into humans. So over time they came to believe that they were truly humans. That was **Moon Drip's** effect on their memory."

"B-But then why were Lyon and the others fine?" Happy asked, looking up at Erza.

"Because they're human." Erza replied, looking down at the blue cat. "I guess the memory damage only affects demons. Also, the villagers couldn't approach the temple because they're demons. People from the darkness cannot approach a temple that hold holy light."

"Amazing..." A new voice said in an awed tone. "I'm glad that I left this in your hands." Everyone turned to the newcomer, and were shocked to see who it was. All the villagers were shocked to see Bobo standing behind them. "Thank you mages."

"Bo-Bobo?" Moka said in a disbelieving tone.

"A ghost!" Lucy screamed, grabbing ahold of Happy.

"You're the sailor that disappeared!" Gray exclaimed, his eyes widening. The ice mage gasped when he saw Bobo sprout wings, and fly into the air.

"I apologize for not telling you the truth back then." Bobo said with a nervous grin, as he scratched his cheek. "I left the island, because I was the only one who got their memory back. I was worried about everyone in the village, because they all thought they were human." Moka couldn't stop the tears that formed in his eyes, as wings sprouted from his back too. The village chief began to fly over to Bobo.

"Bobo!" Moka exclaimed, as he pulled his son in for a hug.

"It's great to see that you're back to your senses dad." Bobo said, returning his father's embrace.

"Haha...demon island, huh?" Erza said with chuckle, as she watched the other villages join Bobo and Moka in the air.

"If you at their faces. They look more like angels than demons." Natsu said with a big smile.

"I think you're right about that Natsu." Erza said with a smile of her own.

"We must have a demon feast to celebrate!" Moka exclaimed, earning a loud cheer from the rest of the villagers.

Back in her tree, Ultear smirked as she watched the villagers prepare for their celebration.

"Did you see it?" Ultear asked, turning to her crystal ball.

"Yeah." A voice sounded from the orb. "But why did you return the village to normal?"

"I was feeling nice Siegrain-sama, so I did them a favor, Ultear replied with a shrug.

"*Sigh* Anyhow...they did better than expected." Siegrain said with an amused look. "Especially that Natsu Dragneel...Fairy Tail. I hope they won't get in our way."

"I agree." Ultear said, as she turned to leave. "It would be a shame to have to kill them all."

* * *

(The Next Morning)

"Hrmm..." Lucy hummed, as she inspected Gray's injuries. "Looks like some of your wounds will leave scars."

"I don't care." Gray said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But it's on your face." Lucy pointed out the small scar on Gray's forehead.

"I don't care where I get hurt, as long as my injuries are visible." Gray said with a ghost of a smile.

"Kinda a cheesy, but well said." Lucy said with a quick wink.

"Tch, just another way to make your ugly ass even uglier." Natsu said, as he ate some flames off a torch.

"Shut you face! I'm trying to act cool, so butt out." Gray said in an annoyed tone, slapping Natsu across the chest.

"You're may be an ice mage, but you're the farthest thing from 'cool' I've ever seen." Natsu said, earning an angry huff from Gray.

"Wh-What?! You can accept the reward?" Moka asked in a shocked tone.

"Of course...your happiness is enough payment for us. We appreciate it." Erza said with a warm smile. "As I told you last night, this job wasn't officially accepted by out guild." Erza briefly turned to see Gray and Natsu fighting, while Lucy stood to the side chuckling. The scarlet haired knight smiled, and turned back to Moka. "A couple of idiots just rushed into this job without permission."

"But that still doesn't change the fact that you saved us." Moka said with a large smile. "Will you accept the reward as a gift from your friends, instead of a reward for your guild."

"It's hard to reject when you put it like that." Erza said, shaking her head.

"7 millions jewels!" Gray cheered in an excited tone.

"She won't accept it." Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest. Gray immediately deflated when he heard this. "I know Erza, and she'll still decline." Natsu then turned to Lucy, and smiled at the blonde. "But she'll probably accept your golden zodiac gate key." The celestial spirit mage's eyes lit up when she heard this.

"But to accept that would go against what out guild stands for." Erza said, proving what Natsu had said. "Although, we'll happily accept the additional reward: the golden gate key."

"Then, at least let us take you back to Hargeon." Bobo offered, as he handed Erza the celestial spirit gate key.

"No need...we have a ship ready." Erza said, gesturing to a large pirate ship slightly down the beach.

"A pirate ship?!" Gray exclaimed in a nervous tone.

"Whoa! Erza that's awesome!" Natsu cheered, as she stared at the pirate ship with wide eyes.

"I don't want to ride on that!" Lucy yelled, as she hugged herself.

"If you want to swim, I'll go with you Luce!" Natsu said with his trademark grin.

"Not gonna happen!" Lucy shouted, as she stomped over to the pirate ship. A few minutes later all the Fairy Tail mages were on board the ship.

"Everyone! Thank you so much!" Bobo called out, as the ship began to depart.

"Take care!" Lucy yelled, waving to the villagers that had gathered to see them off.

As the Fairy Tail mages sailed off, Lyon and his comrades sat on the shore to watch their departure.

"Hmm, they're gone." Yuka said, clasping his hands behind his back.

"I...I'M NOT CRYING!" Toby yelled, as tears poured from his eyes.

"Is this okay? Gray is your fellow pupil; and you're finally getting along." Sherry said, looking down at Lyon.

"It's okay." Lyon said, as he watched the ship sail over the horizon. Once the ship was out of view, Lyon turned to his friends. "Hey...is being in a guild fun?"

* * *

(Magical Council Meeting Site)

"I was rather disappointed we couldn't do anything with Deliora." Ultear said, as she stood behind Siegrain.

"Well it can't be helped...we couldn't have know that it was long dead." Siegrain said with a small smirk.

"I just thought that we could've gotten one step closer to the dream if we had Deliora." Ultear said, hanging her head. "I'm sorry Siergrain-sama. I didn't imagine that woman's magic would be so powerful."

"Please talk about her like that." Siegrain chastised, turning to face Ultear. "Tear of Ur...Ultear. I rather respect your mother. If she was still alive, she'd be one of the ten wizard saints without a doubt."

"Tch, you think to highly of her." Ultear said with a disgusted look. "My mother was a pitiful woman possessed by evil and dumped by my father."

"The more important the things you lose. The stronger the powers you gain." Siegrain said, as Ultear closed her eyes.

"I'm just a speck in my mother's life." Ultear said with a sad smile.

"Is that so? Maybe she raised those two young pupils out of regret." Siegrain said, but Ultear stopped him by placing a finger to his lips.

"Enough of thGAH!" Ultear suddenly gasped when she felt an intense pain from her stomach.

"Haha! It seems that your injuries haven't quite healed up yet." Siegrain laughed, causing a frown to spread across Ultear's face. "Actually, what do you think of Natsu after fighting him?"

"I didn't even use half my power, but he's still amazing." Ultear replied, as she rubbed her aching stomach. "He'll just keep getting stronger and stronger."

"Just as I thought." Siegrain said, clenching his fists. "That child of Igneel...Keep on burning brighter...for the sake of my dream.

* * *

(Magnolia)

"We're back!" Natsu cheered, as the Fairy Tail mages entered Magnolia.

"Man, all that trouble for some stupid key." Gray grumbled with an annoyed look.

"It wasn't an official job, so it was fair enough." Erza said, as she glared at Gray; immediately silencing the ice mage.

"Yeah, yeah, no need to complain." Lucy said, as she clutched her new key.

"You're the only one who gained anything Lucy." Happy pointed, as he gazed up at Lucy's new gate key. "Let's sell the key."

"What!? Keep your dirty paws away from my key, you mangy cat!" Lucy exclaimed, clutching the key close to her chest. "I've told you before; there's only twelve golden zodiac gate keys, in the whole world. They're super rare."

"Which key did you get?" Gray asked, now quite curious.

"Sagittarius, the archer." Lucy said with hearts in her eyes.

"Alright fun times over." Erza said, silencing the other three mages. "We're heading back to the guild, so we can decide your punishment. In regards to this case, I'm willing to overlook your actions. But, it's the master who will deliver the verdict. I won't be defending you very much, so prepare for punishment."

"Don't tell we'll have to do THAT?!" Gray exclaimed, as he curled into a ball on the ground. "No please! I never want to do THAT ever again!"

"What's THAT!?" Lucy yelled, as she felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Don't worry Luce." Natsu said, wrapping an arm around Lucy's shoulders. "I'm sure jii-chan will just praise us for doing a good job."

"You're way too optimistic, Natsu." Lucy said with a nervous smile. She appreciated the dragon slayer trying to comfort her, but she knew that their chances weren't very good.

"No...I'm sure THAT is a given." Erza said, as she shook her head. The scarlet haired knight could only feel pity for the three of them. "I'm feel awful for doing this to you three, but you need to be punished." Natsu's grin slowly faded, as Erza's words sank in. Sweat began to pour off the dragon slayer's body. Seconds later, Natsu was trying to escape down the road. But Erza quickly grabbed him by his scarf, and started dragging him towards the guild hall.

"NOOOO! Anything but that!" Natsu screamed, as he thrashed in Erza's grasp. "Erza please help me! I'll do anything! Just don't make me do THAT!"

"So what is THAT?!" Lucy exclaimed, seeing the dragon slayer's distress only made Lucy's worries increase tenfold.

"Well let's get going." Erza said, dragging the kicking and screaming dragon slayer down the road; with a dejected Gray and panicking Lucy following solemnly behind.

As Erza dragged Natsu towards the guild hall; the dragon slayer couldn't help but overhear the town's people's whispers as they walked past. They sounded rather distressed, as if something terrible had happened.

"What? Something's happened to the guild hall." Erza said, as the guild came into view in the distance.

"Wh-What?" Lucy breathed out, barely able to comprehend what she was seeing.

"T-This is..." Gray struggled to speak, because he couldn't believe his eyes.

The guild hall before them was wrecked. Dozens of massive metal rods pierced the guild's walls. Large parts of the guild were falling apart, or had already collapsed. The once proud Fairy Tail banner, that used to blow in the breeze, now hung limply on the guild's roof.

"OUR GUILD!" Natsu roared, as an overwhelming rage filled his body. The dragon slayer's rage only increased when he saw the destroyed Fairy Tail sign that lay before them. "WHO!? WHO DID THIS TO OUR HOME!?" Natsu clenched his fist so tightly, that he felt his finger nails pierce the skin of his palms. A vein bulged on Natsu's forehead, as angry tears fell from his eyes. "When I find out who did this, they're going to pay dearly." Natsu couldn't help but remember what Lisanna had said to him, before she had left on the S-class mission that she was killed on.

_"Until that time, you do your best to protect Fairy Tail, okay?" _

_"Lisanna, I won't let them disgrace your memory." _Natsu thought, as he felt more tears sting his eyes. _"I will protect our home, and I will destroy those that try to take our home away from us!" _

"What happened here?" Erza asked, as she felt a similar rage fill her body.

* * *

**And done! Holy fuck! I never want to write a chapter this long ever again! This chapter was honestly a fucking nightmare to write. Well the Galuna Island arc is done, so that means we can finally start the Phantom Lord arc! Which means that lot's of NaLu will be incoming, so look forward to that, plus the first girl will finally join Natsu's harem. In this arc, Lisanna will actually a fairly decent part, especially near the end. The anime did a great job with that. So what did you guys think? Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review(They help motivate me to write this fic), and PM me any ideas you have for this fic. Also I plan on getting the next two chapters out pretty soon, so look forward to those. So until next time, I'm outta here.**


	14. Chapter 14 This Means War

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. I should have the next two chapters out fairly quickly, so be ready for that. This chapter will start the Phantom Lord arc, which I've been itching to fight. I have to good shit planned for the later portions of this arc, especially the Natsu vs. Gajeel fight; so look forward to that. Well not much else to say, thanks for the continued support, so let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They are still owned by Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

(Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"What happened here?" Erza asked, as rage filled her body.

"Who could have done such an awful thing?" Lucy asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I don't who did this, but whoever did is going to pay dearly." Natsu said with a snarl, as he angrily wiped away his tears.

"Phantom Lord did this." A quiet voice said from behind them. Turning around, the fours mages were surprised to see Mirajane. "It's simply awful. But we were done in."

"Mira." Natsu said, releasing a sigh of relief. The dragon slayer pulled the white haired barmaid in for a hug. "Thank God you're alright. Was anyone hurt?"

"No, everyone is fine." Mirajane replied, returning Natsu's embrace. "I'm so glad to see that you're alright too, Natsu. You had me really worried."

"Sorry I made you worry Mira, but I just wanted to show Laxus that I worth fighting." Natsu said, releasing Mirajane from the hug.

"It's fine Natsu. I know that you were just looking out for Erza." Mirajane said, giving Erza a quick wink. The scarlet haired knight's face burned red, as she looked in the other direction. "Come on, everyone is in the basement." Mirajane led everyone through the rubble of the destroyed guild hall; down into the guild's basement. As the mages descended the stairs into the basement, they noticed that the room was ripe with tension. Guild members sat at makeshift tables, drinking or murmuring amongst each other.

"Hey look, Erza, Natsu, Gray and Lucy are back." Wakaba announced after taking a drag from his cigarette. Everyone turned around to watch the mages descend the stairs.

"Did you guys see what happened to the guild?" Nab asked, pointing towards the floor above.

"It was kinda hard to miss." Lucy replied with a sweatdrop.

"Damn Phantom Lord! How dare they do this to our guild!"

"We've always been on bad terms with them."

"Let's go and wreck their guild!"

"Calm down! This is Phantom Lord we're talking about."

The basement soon filled with loud shouts, as guild members argued amongst each other. Some of the guild members wanted to storm over to Phantom Lord's guild hall, and burn it to the ground. While others were more reserved, and wanted to plan out a strategy to strike back at Phantom Lord. Mira ushered Natsu, Erza, Lucy, and Gray through the basement; towards where master Makarov sat. The old man was sitting on a table, with a drink his hand.

"Yo." Makarov said in a happy tone, as he waved at Natsu's team. "Welcome back."

"Ji-chan! This isn't fucking happy hour!" Natsu shouted, letting a throaty growl briefly escape his throat.

"Oh, right you are." Makarov said, as he nodded his head. The guild master huffed, and pointed an accusing finger at Natsu. "But! How dare you go on an S-class quest without proper permission!"

"Eh?!" Lucy exclaimed, her mouth hanging open in surprise.

"Punishment!" Makarov exclaimed, as he held up his had. "You'll receive your punishment now! So prepare yourselves!"

"It's not the time for that now!" Natsu growled, as he felt flames build up inside his body.

"Bad." Makarov said, as his arm extended and smacked Natsu upside the head. The master repeated this process with Happy and Gray, but when he got to Lucy; he quickly spanked her.

"Master! Behave yourself!" Mira scolded, as she shot Makarov and upset look. This wasn't missed by Natsu. The dragon slayer quickly grabbed Makarov's arm, and shot him a fierce glare.

"Ji-chan, I don't care if you're the master. I'd advise you never do anything like that to Lucy ever again." Natsu said in a low tone, as he bared his large canines.

"Hmm, whatever you say." Makarov said, causing Natsu to release his arm.

"Master!" Erza exclaimed, her patience at its breaking point. "Do you understand our current situation?!"

"Yeah! They destroyed out guild!" Natsu roared, as his previous anger returned.

"Jeez, calm down." Makarov said, tapping a finger on his knee. "It's not something to really fuss over."

"What?!" Gray and Lucy exclaimed, as their eyes widened.

"It was Phantom Lord right? This is as far as those idiots will go." Makarov said before he took a drink of his beer. "I don't see why they even bothered to attack an empty guild."

"Empty guild?" Erza repeated, quirking a scarlet eyebrow.

"It seems that they attack in the middle of the night." Mirajane replied, earning a nod from Erza.

"There's no need to fight with someone that resorts to surprise attacks." Makarov said, as he waved dismissively. "Just leave them be." However Makarov raised an eyebrow when Natsu slammed his fist onto the table next to him. The table was destroyed Natsu's powerful strike.

"I can't just leave them be!" Natsu screamed in Makarov's face. The dragon slayer was beyond furious, and he accept Phantom Lord getting off unscathed. "I won't feel right until I burn their guild into a pile of ashes!"

"This discussion is over." Makarov said sternly, trying to end the argument. "We'll take job requests down here until the first floor is fixed."

"We don't have time to be messing around with fucking jobs!" Natsu roared, as he glared at Makarov.

"Natsu! Cut it out!" Gray exclaimed, grabbing ahold of the dragon slayer's shoulder.

"We're done talking about this for now." Makarov said, as he hopped of the table. "I'm gonna go take a leak."

"*Growl* How can he be so calm." Natsu said, angrily crossing his arms over his chest.

"Natsu..." Mirajane said in a sympathetic tone, as she gave the dragon slayer's shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sure master is is just as shocked as everyone else." Mirajane's sweet voice instantly began to calm Natsu. "But warfare between guilds is strictly prohibited."

"But they attacked us first!" Natsu exclaimed, slamming his fist into a wall.

"That's beside the issue Natsu." Mirajane said, releasing a light sigh.

"If this how the master feels about it..." Erza said, gritting her teeth. "We'll just have to stand down." The rest of Natsu's team seemed rather upset that they couldn't retaliate. A solemn mood had fallen over the group, except for Natsu. The dragon slayer was still extremely angry, and his fury didn't appear to be going away any time soon.

"Well I'm gonna head home." Lucy announced, as she began to ascend the stairs. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Alright, stay safe Luce." Natsu said, his voice still carrying an angry undertone. The dragon slayer gave Lucy a quick forced grin, before he returned to his thoughts.

"See you tomorrow Lucy." Erza said after taking a bite of her strawberry cake. With a quick smile and wave, Lucy exited the guild hall. "Maybe all three of us should go on a mission tomorrow Natsu. It will help you take your mind of this whole mess." When Erza didn't receive a reply, she shot the dragon slayer a quick look. Natsu was staring intently at the wall, appearing to be in deep thought. One of hands lay on the table, idly clenching and unclenching; causing sparks to occasionally shoot off his knuckles.

_"Until that time, you do your best to protect Fairy Tail, okay?"_

_"Protect Fairy Tail." _

_"Protect." _

Lisanna's words kept repeating over and over in Natsu's head. The dragon slayer couldn't help but feel like he had somehow betrayed Lisanna. He had let their home be attacked and destroyed. Maybe if he hadn't been such an idiot and gone on that S-class mission; maybe he could have done something to stop this from happening. He could have easily found another way to prove himself to Laxus, but he wanted to do something quick. As Natsu's mind wandered his eyes gradually left the wall, and eventually fell upon Mirajane. The white-haired barmaid had a blank look on her face, as she wiped down a table. Mirajane flashed some of the guild members a bright smile, but Natsu could see that it was forced. He knew Mira was just as upset as him, and that she wanted to act. The dragon slayer felt like he had also let Mira down, as well as Lisanna. Natsu could faintly hear Erza speaking to him; something about the three of them going on a mission to help clear his head. But Natsu didn't want to go on any missions, he wanted revenge. Before Natsu's mind could dwell on the topic too much, he felt Erza squeeze his shoulder.

"Did you hear me Natsu?" Erza asked with a slightly worried look, as she grabbed Natsu's shoulder. The scarlet haired knight was worried about the dragon slayer. He was being uncharacteristically quiet, and it was really starting to worry her. She could tell that Natsu was bottling his anger, and that was never a good thing. Natsu was very driven by his emotions, and it was not a good idea for him to keep them locked away.

"Yeah, I heard you Erza." Natsu said quietly, standing up from his seat. "We'll talk with Luce about missions tomorrow, okay?" Seeing Erza nod her head, Natsu cast another glance at Mira. "I'm gonna talk with Mira real quick, then I'm gonna head home."

"Alright Natsu." Erza said, as she stood as well. The knight walked over, and pulled the dragon slayer into a tight embrace. "Don't keep your emotions all bottled up inside Natsu, it's not good for you." Erza's voice was shaky, as she tightened the hug. "I'm worried about you Natsu, so please don't do anything reckless."

"Hey, when have I ever done anything reckless?" Natsu joked half heartedly, earning a slight chuckle from Erza. "There we go! I knew I could make you smile. Don't worry Erza, I'm fine. I won't run off and do something stupid."

"You better not." Erza warned, releasing Natsu from her embrace. "Because if you do you're in for the scolding of a life time."

"Then I definitely won't try anything." Natsu said with a toothy grin, as he began to walk towards Mira. "Goodnight Erza!"

"Night Natsu!" Erza called out with a small smile. But as soon as the dragon slayer turned around, Erza's smile quickly changed to a frown. "I hope you're really okay Natsu." Erza said quietly, as she bit into another forkful of cake.

"Hey Mira." Natsu said softly, walking up behind the eldest Strauss sibling.

"Oh, hello Natsu." Mirajane said sweetly, as she finished wiping off a table. "I'm so glad you, Erza, and Lucy are back safely."

"Yeah, it's great to be back." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. Mirajane picked up on this, and quirked a white eyebrow. "Can I talk with you in private for a moment?"

"Sure thing Natsu." Mirajane replied in a confused tone. The barmaid was befuddled by Natsu's sudden nervousness, as she followed him into a secluded corner of the basement. "What's on your mind Natsu?"

"I...I...I-I'm so sorry Mira." Natsu finally said, surprising the white-haired woman. The dragon slayer clenched his fists, as self loathing tears formed in his eyes. Natsu hung his head to avoid Mirajane's gaze. "I let you and Lisanna down." Mirajane's eyes widened at the mention of her deceased younger sister.

"W-What are you talking about Natsu? You haven't done anything wrong." Mirajane said in concerned tone; she was surprised to see a few tears streak down Natsu's cheeks.

"Yes I have!" Natsu hissed angrily, now looking Mirajane in the eyes. "If I hadn't run off on that S-class mission none of this might've happened. If I was back in town, I could've possibly done something to stop this. I even might have been able to catch the person who did this to our home. And when I did that S-class mission I dragged along three more of our nakama. If Gray and Erza were here they might have been able to stop whoever did this." Mirajane stood speechless, listening to Natsu fall deeper and deeper into his self hatred. The white haired barmaid had never seen Natsu act like this before, and it was seriously starting to worry. "Two years ago, when you went on that S-class mission with Lisanna and Elfman; before you left Lisanna asked me to keep Fairy Tail safe. But look at the guild now! Our home has been wrecked by those Phantom Lord assholes. Because I couldn't protect our home, I let Lisanna down. I've let those bastards disgrace her memory." Natsu was so caught up in his rant that he didn't register that Mirajane had slapped him until he felt the stinging pain. The dragon slayer stared at Mirajane wide eyed, as he placed a hand to his red cheek. Natsu's heart ached when he saw tears streaming down Mirajane's face.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this Natsu." Mirajane said, choking back a sob. "And don't you dare think for one second that you let Lisanna and I down. You had no way of knowing that this would happen Natsu, so please stop putting yourself down for something that was out of your control." Mirajane stopped briefly to wipe away her tears. "Do you remember what you said to Elfman two years ago?" Natsu's eyes widened when Mirajane said this. "Lisanna wouldn't want you blaming yourself." A soft smile graced Mira's face, as she placed a hand on Natsu's cheek. "You'll have your chance at revenge Natsu. You'll just have to be patient, and wait for master to come up with a plan. Until then...please stop thinking this was your fault."

"T-Thank you Mira." Natsu said, pulling Mirajane in for hug. Mirajane could feel tears landing on the back of her dress. "I will make these bastards pay for wrecking our home." Natsu gave Mirajane a quick squeeze before he release her. Mirajane couldn't help but smile when she saw the grin on Natsu's face. "But you're right, Lisanna wouldn't want me acting like this. Gray's usually the one to act like an emo crybaby." This earned a giggle from Mirajane. "Well I'm gonna head home now."

"Actually Natsu." Mirajane said, stopping the dragon slayer in his tracks. "Master said he wants groups of guild members staying together. He wants you, Lucy, Erza, Happy and Gray to stick together, just in case Phantom Lord tries to attack again. Gray, Erza, and Happy are probably heading to Lucy's apartment right now."

"Oh, thanks Mira." Natsu said with a wide smile. "I'll head over to Luce's place right now! Night Mira!"

"Good night Natsu!" Mirajane called out, as she watched Natsu run off. When Natsu was out of sight, Mirajane sighed and slumped into a nearby chair. Mirajane closed her eyes and lowered her head. _"Lisanna, please watch over Natsu." _

* * *

(Strawberry Street)

"*Sigh* Things have gotten really serious." Lucy said to herself, as she strolled down the street towards her apartment. The blonde celestial spirit mage was walking on the edge of the canal with Plue right in front of her. "Phantom Lord is know for not being on good terms with Fairy Tail." Lucy sighed again, as she opened the front door to her apartment building. "I'm really worried about Natsu. He seemed really out of when I left the guild. I think he may be blaming himself for what happened." The blonde chuckled, as she began to ascend the stairs. "I remember when I first started out on my journey, I couldn't decide on whether to join Phantom Lord or Fairy Tail. But thanks to Natsu I made the right choice." Lucy smiled, as she opened the door to her apartment. "Because Fairy Tail is..." However Lucy went wide eyed when she saw that Natsu, Erza, Happy, and Gray were all in her apartment. "THE BEST!"

"Welcome home." Gray said with a wave.

"You have a very nice home Lucy." Erza complimented, as she took a sip of her tea. The knight was no longer wearing her usual armor, but was instead dressed in more casual clothes. "Natsu was right when he said this place was an amazing deal."

"Hey Luce." Natsu said with a small smile. Lucy couldn't help but notice that Natsu seemed to be in a slightly better mood. Although his tone still had a slightly upset edge to it.

"What are you all doing here?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she dropped her bag.

"Seeing that Phantom Lord attacked our guild it's possible that they might have all our addresses." Erza replied, causing Lucy's eyes to widen in fear.

"I don't think it'll happen, but they might attack us when we're alone." Gray said, as he leaned back in his chair. "That's why master said we should stay in groups for a while..."

"R-Really?!" Lucy asked in a slightly scared tone, as she approached the table.

"Everyone's having a sleepover today!" Happy cheered, raising his paw.

"Since your a young and beautiful girl...I wouldn't feel right if only Natsu and Gray were here." Erza said, shooting Gray a quick glare. "That's why I joined Gray on his way here."

"It's just for a little while Luce." Natsu said with a grin.

"Well I'm gonna hit the sack, so keep it down." Gray said, stretching in his seat.

"Erza. Looook, I found some really kinky underwear." Happy said, as he dug through Lucy's drawers.

"I-I can't believe you'd w-wear something like this." Erza managed to say, as she peaked into Lucy's underwear drawer as well. The knight's face was a fluorescent red, as she gazed at the erotic undergarments. "You're so brave for wearing these." Erza couldn't help but picture herself wearing a pair of these for a certain pink-haired dragon slayer. _"Maybe I can borrow a pair from her. We look about the same size."_

"Jeez, you're already making yourself at home." Lucy said with a deadpanned expression.

"Natsu, Gray...you two stink." Erza said, finally able to control her raging blush. "Since we'll be sleeping in the same room; I suggest you both take a shower."

"I don't really feel like it." Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And I'm too sleepy." Gray said, stifling a yawn.

"I guess there's no choice..." Erza said, wrapping an arm around Natsu's neck. "Natsu and I will have to shower together like when we were younger." The dragon slayer's eyes widened when he heard this, and his face burned red. Now Natsu was totally open to the idea of a nice shower; as he gave Erza's generous bust a quick glance. "Gray you'll just have to wait for us to finish."

_"What kind of relationship do they have?" _Lucy thought, as her eyes narrowed.

* * *

(30 Minutes Later)

After some encouraging from Erza, everyone eventually took a quick shower. Although Natsu seemed a little upset that he wouldn't be showering with Erza, Lucy made absolutely sure of that, he took a fast one anyways. "Hey..." Lucy asked, as she began to dry her hair off. "Do any of you have any idea why Phantom Lord attacked us out of the blue?"

"I don't know..." Erza, now dressed in Heart Kruez pajamas, said as she crossed her arms under her chest. "We've had a few scraps with them in the past, but this is the first time they've attacked us directly."

"Ji-chan should stop pissing around, and just blow them all away." Natsu said, resting his head on Lucy's kitchen table.

"I don't think Ji-san is pissing around." Gray said, as he set Lucy's novel down. The blonde's face burned bright red as she quickly snatched the unfinished book of her desk. "After all, he's on of the Ten Wizard Saints."

"Ten Wizard Saints?" Lucy repeated in a confused tone.

"It's a title given to ten strongest mages in each continent; they're decided by the chairman of the magic council." Erza explained, causing Lucy's eyes to widen.

"Oh wow!" Lucy exclaimed in an excited tone.

"But master Jose of Phantom Lord is also one of the Ten Wizard Saints." Happy pointed out, raising his paw.

_"So is he." _Erza thought, as an image of Siegrain appeared in her mind.

"I still think Ji-chan is scared, because Phantom Lord has a lot of members!" Natsu said through clenched teeth, as he slammed a fist down onto the table.

"Have you even been listening, ash for brains? I'm telling you that's not it." Gray said, earning a throaty growl from Natsu. "Both master and Mira-chan know what would happen if two guild fought, so they're trying to avoid it. In order to protect the magical order in the world." Lucy gulped audibly when she heard this.

_"Mira wants to fight, I know she does. She's just waiting for master to give the order to attack." _Natsu thought, as he clenched his fist. _"You don't know anything about Mira, ice princess." _

"Is Phantom Lord really that strong?" Lucy asked in a concerned tone.

"They're not strong at all." Natsu replied, earning him a smack upside the head from Erza.

"Don't listen to him..." Erza said, as she turned to look at Lucy. "In reality, if our guilds fought we'd both be wiped out...Our fighting potential is about equal right now." Erza released a light sigh, and closed her eyes. "Master Jose, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, who's said to be as powerful as master Makarov. Then there's the Elemental 4, the equivalent to our own S-class mages. However, they say the most formidable is the iron dragon Gajeel. Apparently he's the one who attacked our guild. He's the iron dragon slayer."

"Dragon slayer?!" Lucy exclaimed, shooting Natsu a quick look. The pink-haired dragon slayer had an annoyed look on his face, as he stared in the other direction. "T-There are m-more besides Natsu? Th-Then does he...eat...iron and stuff?!"

* * *

(Phantom Lord Guild Hall)

"Gajeel, I heard you attacked Fairy Tail, huh? Good job!" A Phantom Lord guild member said, as he approached the iron dragon slayer. Gajeel was sitting at a table, eating a handful of iron screws and bolts. "I bet theirs spirits are pretty crushed right now! Serves them right!" Before the man could say anything else, an iron club extended from Gajeel's arm; sending the man flying across the guild.

"What did I say about disturbing me while I'm eating." Gajeel said in an annoyed tone, as his arm returned to normal. "You scum." The iron dragon slayer stood from his seat, and glared at the other guild members. "Who cares about those Fairy assholes? Our guild is stronger than theirs."

"The wheels have been set in motion." Jose said, stepping out of the shadows. "Excellent work, Gajeel-san."

"You were too lenient master." Gajeel said with a wicked grin, baring his elongated canines; his red eyes filled with amusement. "Those rat bastards won't be lured out of their cages just by destroying their guild. So I left them another present, geehee."

"My, my..." Jose said with a dark chuckle. "Thought...you mustn't kill _that_ person, no matter what." Gajeel's evil grin only grew wider.

* * *

(Magnolia; Southern Park)

A large crowd had gathered around the tree in center of Magnolia's southern park. The townspeople murmured and whispered amongst to themselves. On the tree before them were three crucified figures. They were Fairy Tails Levy McGarden, Jet, and Droy. The three mages were seriously injured; their bodies covered in numerous bruises and lacerations. Iron bindings held Levy, Jet, and Droy in place above the ground.

"Out of my way!" Erza exclaimed, as she pushed through the crowd of people. "I'm from the guild." When Erza reached the front of the crowd she gasped in shock at the gruesome display.

"Levy-chan..." Lucy breathed, as tears fell from her eyes. The blonde couldn't control her sobs, as she watched blood slowly drip down from Levy's forehead.

"Jet! Droy!" Gray yelled, his voice laced with concern. The two male members of Team Shadow Gear were even more beat up than Levy.

_"Until that time, you do your best to protect Fairy Tail, okay?"_

"Phantom Lord..." Natsu said barely above a whisper, spotting the Phantom Lord guild mark painted across Levy's stomach. The dragons slayer's whole body began to shake in rage. Veins bulged all along Natsu's arms and forehead; his breathing becoming more and more ragged with each breath. Suddenly intense flames exploded off the dragon slayer, causing those near by to take a step back. The crowd behind Natsu separated to allow Makarov, who had just arrived, to approach the tree. "Ji-chan..." Natsu's voice was uneven and shaky, as he barely contained his incredible rage. "I don't care what you say, I'm going to burn their guild to the ground. Then I'm going to find Gajeel and melt him down into scrap metal."

"This time...you're right my boy." Makarov said, as he too began to shake in unbridled fury. "Destroying out shoddy bar I could deal with...But no parent shall remain silent upon seeing their child's blood spilled..." The walking stick Makarov had been using exploded under his clenched fists. "THIS MEANS WAR!" Makarov then turned to Natsu, his eyes full of fury. "NATSU! You're leading the charge!"

"I'M ALL FIRED UP!" Natsu roared, as the flames surrounding his body grew even more intense. With one last shout of anger, Natsu sprinted through the crowd in the direction of Phantom Lord's guild hall; with most of his nakama following closely behind his blistering pace. Erza re-equipped into her normal armor, and Gray threw off his shirt as they caught up to the dragon slayer. The three of them lead Fairy Tail's assault on Phantom Lord. One thought on each of their minds. Revenge.

_"Lisanna, I'm done standing around! I'm gonna stop these bastards before they can hurt any more of our nakama!" _Natsu thought, as he reached the outskirts of Magnolia. Once Natsu was clear of the city limits, he encased his legs in fire. Seconds later a loud boom was heard, as Natsu began to fly towards Phantom Lord's guild hall. _"I promise you that Lisanna!"_

* * *

**Okay I know this is a pretty short chapter, but it's just meant to introduce the new arc. If I would have continued I would have had to start Fairy Tail's attack on Phantom Lord. I figured that this was a good stopping point. Then next chapter we can really get into the meat of this arc, and get some fighting and Lucy's kidnap done. So you have all that to look forward to next chapter. So what did you guys think? Please remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW(The amount of reviews last chapter was kinda disappointing, so let's try to bring up this chapter), and PM me ideas you have for this fic. Like I said before, the next chapter should be out soon and it will definitely be much longer than this one. So until next time, I'm outta here.**


	15. Chapter 15 Assault on Phantom Lord

**All right, I'm back with the next chapter. This chapter will really get the Phantom Lord arc under way, so I hope you're all ready for that. Sadly this chapter will end the quick updates I have for this fic. So the next chapter probably won't be out for a while. Hopefully this chapter is good enough to tide you over until then :P Well this story is almost at 700 followers already, and we're almost at 300 reviews, which is totally amazing. Thank you all for your patience and support of this fic. Welp nothing else to say, so let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts."_

_**"Flashback"**_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. All of them belong to Hiro Mashima. **

* * *

(10 Minutes Later; Magnolia Hospital)

Lucy sat in a chair to the right of Levy's hospital bed. All three members of Team Shadow Gear were unconscious and covered in numerous bandages and casts. Lucy had stayed behind to watch over Levy, Jet, and Droy while the rest of Fairy Tail assaulted Phantom Lord. The blonde celestial spirit mage was staring at the floor, as she fisted the fabric of her skirt.

"Levy-chan...Jet...Droy..." Lucy muttered sadly, clenching her fists even tighter. "This is too cruel. Phantom Lord has gone too far." As Lucy sat beside Levy she couldn't help remembering the first time she had met Team Shadow Gear, and the girl who would become one of her best friends at Fairy Tail.

**_"Lu-chan, I heard! You're writing a novel aren't you!" Levy said excitedly, as she sat down next to Lucy._**

**_"Ugh, so it got out already." Lucy groaned, shooting Gray a quick death glare. "Damn Gray must have told everyone." Lucy muttered underneath her breath._**

**_"My name is Levy McGarden, and I'm 17 years old; just like you, Lu-chan!" Levy said with a smile, before she gestured to the two men standing behind her. "This is Jet and Droy. We're on the same team together." Both Jet and Droy smiled and waved at Lucy. "I'm...for lack of a better word, horrible, at writing...but I love to read! Could I read your novel some time, if you don't mind?"_**

**_"I-I'm sorry, it's not something I can show people yet." Lucy replied, as her face started to flush red in embarassment._**

**_"What are you talking about? There's no point writing a novel if no gets to read it." Jet said, as he began to make his way over to the request board._**

**_"If you're going to be a novelist you must be open to criticism." Droy said, sticking his hands in his pockets._**

**_"You won't get far if you're too embarrassed to let people read your work." Levy reasoned with a large smile. "Come on! Show me please! Show me!" _**

**_"I-It's not finished yet." Lucy said, trying to get out of the conversation. _**

**_"Then when it's finished can I be the first reader?" Levy asked with with a hopeful look._**

**_"Sorry, I already promised Natsu that he could be the first to read it." Lucy replied, causing Levy's eyes to widen._**

**_"EH?! Natsu actually wants to read a book?! He hates reading!" Levy exclaimed in a shocked tone. However a mischievous grin spread across Levy's face a moment later. "Natsu must really like you Lu-chan, because he usually wouldn't be caught dead reading a novel. I bet Natsu has the hots for you."_**

**_"S-Shut up!" Lucy squeaked, as her entire face burned near neon red. The blonde quickly buried her face into her arms to cover her intense blush. "If I let you be the second person to read my book will you please stop?"_**

**_"Yay! It's a promise!" Lucy said with a delighted look._**

"I can't forgive Phantom Lord..." Lucy said barely above a whisper, as tears fell from her eyes. "Natsu...everyone...please stop them."

* * *

(Oak Town; Phantom Lord Guild Hall)

"Hahaha! This is awesome." A Phantom Lord mage said with a crooked grin. "Those Fairy bastards got their asses burned real good!"

"That's not all, I heard Gajeel attacked three of their mages." Another Phantom Lord mage added, earning a cheer from several of his fellow guild members.

"I was wondering, who was that person master was talking about?"

"No idea man."

"He told us to 'stay away' or something like that."

"Bah, whatever. Here's to those pitiful Fairy losers." The Phantom Lord mage said, holding up his drink.

"I bet their trembling with their tails between their legs right now." Another mage said, as he toasted with his fellow guild member.

"Shit! I lost track of time." A mage said, shooting to his feet.

"Heh, you meeting a girl?"

"Yeah, not too shabby looking either. Though she's just a client." The mage replied with an evil smirk. "When I threatened her, she doubled the reward."

"I bet I could have tripled it!"

"Yeah, whatever." The mage said, as he reached out to open the door. But he stopped when the a loud rumbling echoed throughout guild hall. "What the hell's that rumbling?"

"Geehee." Gajeel snickered, standing upon the rafters far above the floor. "Looks like Salamander's already here. This outta be fun." Just as Gajeel finished speaking, the doors to the guild exploded open. Flames burst outward, licking the walls as the entrance to Phantom Lord caught on fire.

"WHERE IS HE?!" A furious voice roared, as a figure began to walk through the flames. "WHERE IS GAJEEL!?" All of the Phantom Lord guild member's eyes widened when they saw Natsu emerge from the flames. The pink-haired dragon slayer's body was still engulfed in flames; as he menacingly advanced forward.

"B-Bastard!" A Phantom Lord mage yelled, charging towards Natsu. The dragon slayer didn't even glance at the mage; his flaming fist instantly flooring the Phantom mage.

"Outta my way!" Natsu growled, as he continued to walk forward. Four more Phantom Lord mages ran forward, and tried to attack Natsu. But the flames surrounding Natsu exploded outwards, sending them all flying back. Suddenly Natsu stopped, and began to sniff the air. The pink-haired dragon slayer's head instantly shot upwards; his eyes alight with fury when he saw Gajeel smirking down at him.

"Looks like you've found me." Gajeel said, as he hopped down from the rafters. All the surrounding Phantom Lord mages took a step back; giving the two dragon slayers plenty of room. "You're nose is pretty good Salamander."

"It's because you reek of Levy, Jet, and Droy's blood." Natsu snarled, cracking his knuckles. "I'm here to pay you and your fucking guild back tenfold!"

"Geehee, is that so?" Gajeel asked with an amused look. "It will take more than just you to stop us."

"Oh, it's not just me." Natsu said with a grin, as the rest of his nakama burst out of the flames behind him. "We're Fairy Tail, and we're here to kick all of your asses!" All of the Fairy Tail mages let out a resounding cheer, as they began to attack the Phantom Lord mages. "Gajeel, you're all mine."

"I've been looking forward to this Salamander." Gajeel said with a vicious smirk. _"Even though Gildarts, Laxus, and Mystogan aren't here; Master Jose's plan is going better than expected." _

On the other side of the guild, Makarov was fighting a group of Phantom Lord mages. The enemy mages didn't stand a chance, as Fairy Tail's master tore through their ranks like paper. Makarov's arms grew to massive sizes; smashing Phantom Lord mages to the ground. The enemy mages howled in pain, as they felt their bones crack and break.

"H-He's a monster!" A Phantom Lord mage rasped out, as he struggled against Makarov's iron grip.

"You attacked this monster's children." Makarov said in a dark tone, glaring at the mages around him. "Don't think you'll be protected by human laws." The Phantom Lord mages took a fearful step back, as Makarov threw the mage he was holding into a nearby wall. "Jose! Show yourself!"

"We know where is Gajeel is!" Erza exclaimed, slashing through a group of Phantom Lord mages. "But where is the Elemental 4?"

* * *

(Back in Magnolia)

"*Sigh* Kinda wish I had went with everyone else." Lucy said, as she walked through an alley on her way home. The blonde had decided to go home and rest for a bit, before she returned to watch over Levy, Jet, and Droy. As Lucy walked through the alleyway, she was surprised when it suddenly started to rain. "No way. Rain when the Sun is out?" Lucy stopped walking when she saw a figure approaching her. When the figure was close enough, Lucy saw that it was a blue-haired girl. The girl was wearing heavy winter clothing, and had a hat on her head.

"Drip, drip, drop." The woman said, as she walked towards Lucy. "Yes...Juvia brings the rain. Drip, drip, drop."

"Huh?" Lucy said with a confused look. The blonde's eyes narrowed slightly, as she scanned over the mysterious girls features. _"I feel like I know this girl from somewhere, but I can't remember." _

"What do you bring?" Juvia asked, holding her hand out to catch some rain.

"Um, who are you?" Lucy replied in a confused tone.

"I had fun. Farewell." Juvia said, spinning around and starting to walk away. "Drip, drip, drop."

"Eh? What the hell was that all about?" Lucy asked, watching the blue-haired woman walk away.

"Non. Non. Non. Non. Non. Non." A new voice echoed throughout the alleyway. Juvia stopped dead in her tracks, as a green-haired man with a monocle materialized from the ground. The man smiled, as he gazed at Lucy. "Bonjour with non in a 3-3-7 rhythm."

"Another weirdo?" Lucy said under breath, feeling her skin beginning to crawl.

"Juvia-sama you can't just walk away from your mission." The newcomer said, as he turned to look at Juvia.

"Monsieur Sol." Juvia said in a surprised tone.

"My monocle is telling me that mademoiselle over there is none other than our target." Sol said, his head tilted to the side.

"Oh my...she's the one?" Juvia said, as she turned to face Lucy.

"Pardon my manners mademoiselle." Sol said, clapping his hands. "I am Sol. You may call me monsieur Sol." The man smiled, as he leaned towards Lucy. "We've come from the great Phantom Lord to welcome you."

"Juvia is a member of the Elemental 4, who brings rain." Juvia explained, as the rain began to fall more intensely.

"Phantom Lord?!" Lucy exclaimed, as her eyes widened in shock. "Y-You're the one's who attacked Levy-chan!" An angry look spread across Lucy's face, as she reached for her celestial spirit keys. Lucy's eyes narrowed again when she saw Juvia. _"Now I remember where I know her from. That blue curled hair, blue eyes, and control over the rain. There's no doubt. She has to be that 'rain' girl that Natsu told me he met during a mission a few years ago. To think she's now apart of Phantom Lord." _Before Lucy could make any moves, she was suddenly encased in a sphere of water. The blonde's eyes widened, as she began to struggled against the water encasing her.

"Non. Non. Non. I'd like to clear up your misunderstanding with three nons." Sol said, twidling with his pencil thin mustache. "Wrecking the guild and attacking Levy-sama; all were done by Gajeel-sama...Though, it is true that this was done with a unanimous vote from our guild."

"Wh-What is this thing?!" Lucy gasped out, managing to push her head through the water barrier.

"Juvia's **Water Lock** cannot be broken." Juvia said, as she swiped her hand. Lucy yelped as she was yanked back into the sphere of water. Lucy's eyes began to close, as she lost consciousness due to air lose. A few moments later Lucy was out cold.

"Mmmm, Tres bien." Sol said with a smile, as he watched Lucy float in the water sphere.

"Don't worry...Juvia won't kill you, for it is Juvia's job to bring you back." Juvia said, not noticing that Lucy's keys fell from the water sphere. "Lucy Heartfilia-sama."

"Mmmm! Victorie!" Sol cheered, adjusting his monocle.

"Capture complete." Juvia said with a small smile, as she began to lead Lucy away.

* * *

(Phantom Lord Guild Hall)

"Erza!" Makarov yelled over the sounds of an all out brawl. Fairy Tail's master dodged an incoming attack, before smashing a group of Phantom Lord mages into the ground. "I'm putting you in charge here." The scarlet haired knight nodded, as she slashed through some Phantom grunts with dual swords. "Jose is probably on the top floor. I'm going up there to tear him a new one."

"Be safe master." Erza said, punching a Phantom mage in the face with her armored fist.

On the other side of Phantom Lord's guild hall Natsu and Gajeel stared each other down. Both Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord mages gave the two dragon slayers a wide berth, so that they wouldn't get in the way of their fight. Gajeel couldn't help but smirk as he watched the dual dragon slayer across from him. On the outside Natsu seemed calm and collected, but Gajeel could tell that the pink-haired dragon slayer was seething with rage on the inside.

"Geehee, what are you waiting for Salamander?" Gajeel taunted with a sneer. "I thought you were going to kick my ass."

"I am." Natsu said, glaring at the iron dragon slayer. "I'm just waiting for the right moment to strike."

"Well if you're not gonna attack I'll make the first move!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he shot forward. One of Gajeel's arms turned into a large iron club. With a wicked grin, Gajeel swung the iron club at Natsu. But before Gajeel's attack could hit, an unconscious Phantom Lord mage came flying in; the knocked out mage crashed into Gajeel, sending him tumbling to the ground. Natsu turned his head to see Erza give him a thumbs up. The pink-haired dragon slayer grinned at Erza, before he returned his attention to Gajeel. "That was a dirty move Salamander." Gajeel said, throwing the Phantom Lord mage of his chest.

"Not nearly as dirty as what you did to our guild and Levy." Natsu growled, continuing to glare at Gajeel.

"*Growl* Take this!" Gajeel roared, as he shot forward once again. This time Gajeel's right arm turned into a large iron sword. But when Gajeel swung his sword at Natsu, he was shocked to see the dual dragon slayer stop his attack with both hands. Gajeel roared in pain when Natsu's hands sparked to life with electricity. The lightning coursed through Gajeel's iron body, which naturally conducted the electricity.

"Your ass whooping starts now!" Natsu exclaimed, cocking his electrified fist back. "**Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu's lightning coated fist shot forward, hitting the dazed iron dragon slayer in the stomach. All the air left Gajeel's lungs, as he went soaring into the air. With a loud grunt of pain, Gajeel crashed through several of the rafters above the floor.

"You bastard!" Gajeel shouted, as he spun around and sprang of one of the rafters. However Gajeel had put to much power into his legs, and had misjudged how fast he would spring off the rafters. He had reached Natsu before he even had a chance to react.

"**Lightning Dragon's Claw!**" Natsu however was prepared for Gajeel's increased speed. With a throaty growl, Natsu slammed his electrified foot down on the back of Gajeel's neck. The iron dragon coughed out a small amount of blood, as he smashed chest first into the floor. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu's flaming fist crashed into the iron dragon slayer's back. Gajeel roared in pain, as Natsu's flames scorched his back. "**Fire Dragon's R-**" Before Natsu could finish his attack, Gajeel quickly rolled out of the way and jumped back up into the rafters. Gajeel was panting heavily, and his body was covered in dozens of bruises and cuts.

"That's my Natsu." Erza said with a warm smile, watching Natsu roll his shoulders. The fire dragon slayer still didn't have a single scratch on him.

"So." Gajeel said with a smirk, as he spit out some blood. "That all you got Salamander?" The iron dragon's tone was still cocky and full of arrogance, but Natsu could tell that there was also a hidden nervous edge in Gajeel's voice. Gajeel continued to smirk, as he yanked several nails out of the rafters around him. Biting down into the nails, Gajeel could feel new found energy coursing through his body.

"Don't you worry; that was just a friendly hello from one dragon slayer to another." Natsu said, lightning coating both his hands. "You still have a lot of ass kicking to take."

"Geehee, is that-" Before Gajeel could finish the entire guild began to shake and tremble.

"Wh-What is that?!"

"An earthquake!?"

"The entire guild is trembling!"

"This is gonna get ugly real quick." Gray said with a smirk, causing the Phantom Lord mages around him to take a step back.

"This is master Makarov's _**fury**_." Erza explained, as she wiped some sweat off her brow. "No one can stop a giant's _**fury**_."

"That's the man, Master Makarov." Elfman said with a grin. "As long as we have him; we can't lose."

On Phantom Lord's top floor the halls quaked and shook, as Makarov slowly walked through them. An enormous amount of magic energy was surging off Makarov. The magic coursing of Makarov destroyed everything it touched.

"Jose." Makarov growled in a furious tone, as he approached Phantom Lord's master. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Huh?"

"Why hello there. Long time no see, Makarov-san." Jose said with a crooked smile, crossing his legs. "I think we last met at the regular meeting six years ago...boy I got so wasted that time...I really overdid it with the sake." Without warning, Makarov's enlarge fist launched towards Jose. However Makarov's fist went clear through Jose's body, as if it wasn't even there.

"I'm not here to catch up with you Jose." Makarov snarled, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Ho, ho, ho..." Jose chuckled, as he lowered his head; his body flickering slightly. "My oh my."

"An image!?" Makarov shouted in anger. "You...already left the guild?!"

"A battle between two of the Ten Wizard Saints can cause extra ordinary natural occurrences." Jose explained, a small smirk spreading across his face. "I prefer a rational victory."

"Where are you?!" Makarov roared, his anger growing even more. "Come and fight me fair and square." Just then another image flickered in front of Jose. Makarov's eyes widened when he saw Lucy tied up at Jose's feet. "Lucy!?"

A few floors below Natsu had just dodged a punch from Gajeel, and countered with a knee to the iron dragon slayer's stomach. Gajeel gasped in pain, as he collapsed to his knees. Natsu coated his fist in flames, and prepared to strike Gajeel. But Natsu's enhanced hearing picked up a shout from the top floor. The pink-haired dragon slayer stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the blonde's name.

"Luce?" Natsu parroted with a confused look. "I thought she stayed back in Magnolia." Due to his distraction, Natsu didn't notice Gajeel rise back to his feet. The iron dragon slayer reacted quickly, and struck Natsu with an iron club to the chest. Natsu went crashing through several tables, as he flew across the Phantom Lord guild hall. While Natsu slowly stood back to his feet, Gajeel sorted through the debris surrounding him. The iron dragon slayer grinned when he grabbed a handful of scrap metal. Once again Gajeel chewed on the iron scraps, letting new energy flow through him.

Back up on the top floor, Makarov stared at Lucy's unconscious form in shock. Fairy Tail's master couldn't understand why Jose would capture her.

"Why?!" Makarov shouted, as he watched Jose pull out a dagger. With an evil grin, Jose lunged the dagger towards Lucy. "NOOO!" Makarov reached out to stop Jose, but he never noticed a new presence appear behind him. Feeling magic gathering behind him, Makarov quickly spun around. Makarov's eyes widened when he a large man, with a blindfold covering his eyes, standing behind him. _"Shit! I didn't even notice him approach!"_

"So...so...so" The blindfolded man said, as tears suddenly began to pour from his covered eyes. "Sorrowful!" Makarov roared in pain, as he was hit with a powerful wave of magical energy. Fairy Tail's master crashed through a nearby wall, and began to fall towards the floor below.

"Ho ho ho...there's no way we'd kill Lucy-sama, right?" Jose said with a dark laugh, his dagger landing next to Lucy's head. "At least not yet."

_"What is happening?!" _Makarov thought, as he felt all the magical energy leaving his body. _"I can't use any of my magic!"_

"Please don't tell me you didn't know who Lucy Heartfilia-sama, while she belonged to your guild." Jose said in a taunting tone. "Well...I guess it's none of your business anymore."

"It's so sorrowful!" The blindfolded man wailed, as tears continued to flow from his eyes. "Where dost this sorrow cometh from!? AH! Is this sorrow due to the world losing a great mage?!"

All the fighting on the ground floor stopped when a small object crashed into the floor. All the Fairy Tail mage's eyes widened when they saw their master barely conscious on the ground.

"M-Master..." Natsu and Erza breathed out in a shocked tone, as they both broke out in a cold sweat.

"Ugh...ah...ah..." Makarov wheezed, his breathing heavy and labored. "M-My magical power..."

At an unknown location Jose smiled darkly, as he grabbed ahold of Lucy's shoulder. Phantom Lord's master hoisted Lucy onto his shoulder, and began to lead her towards a nearby cell.

"Aria-san's magic takes away an opponent's magical power, or in other words; making it void." Jose explained with a smirk, roughly tossing Lucy into the cell. "This victory is ours."

Back at the Phantom Lord guild hall all of the Fairy Tail mages stood too shocked to move. Makarov continued to struggle to breath, as he wreathed on the floor.

"Master!"

"Ji-chan!"

Both Natsu and Erza ran over to their crippled master. Erza gently picked Makarov up, and began to check all of his vitals. "Master! Hang in there!"

"I don't sense any magic coming from Ji-chan! What's going on?!" Natsu exclaimed, as he kneeled next to Erza.

"Tch, I guess the fun's over." Gajeel said, wiping some blood from the corner of his mouth. Mages on both sides quickly began to mutter and shout amongst themselves.

"Impossible! How can our master be defeated!?"

"Awesome! Now their battle strength is cut in half!"

"What...on earth...happened upstairs?"

"Let's crush them now!" With a roar of approval, the Phantom Lord mages started their counterattack. "They're too weak to beat us now!"

_"No! It's not only our battle strength." _Erza thought, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. _"Having low morale is only going to cause us more problems." _Taking a deep breath, Erza stood onto her feet. "Retreat! Everyone back to the guild!"

"No way!" Gray growled, as he began to gather ice magic.

"Yeah, men don't retreat!" Elfman roared, taking a fighting stance.

"We can still fight." Macao and Bisca said, preparing to fight back.

"We cannot defeat Jose without our master!" Erza reasoned in a desperate tone. "We're retreating! That's an order!"

"My, my leaving already?" Gajeel asked, hanging from the rafters above.

"So sorrowful." Aria said, appearing above Gajeel.

"Aria, you're still creepy as hell." Gajeel said, as he looked up at Aria. "I'm surprised that you defeated that old geezer."

"All apart of master Jose's plan." Aria said, as tears once again fell from his eyes. "Wonderful!"

"Damn, stop crying over every little fucking thing." Gajeel said in an annoyed tone, as he jumped up next to Aria. "So...did we catch that Lucy girl?" Natsu's head immediately snapped up when he heard this.

"She's being held at our headquarters." Aria replied, wiping away the tears from his cheeks.

"WHAT?!" Natsu roared, as he leaped up into the rafters. "GAJEEL!?"

"Let's finish this some other time, Salamander." Gajeel said with a sneer, as he and Aria seemingly disappeared into thin air.

"WAIT!?" Natsu yelled in a panicked tone. The pink-haired dragon slayer's head fell, as he tightly clenched his fists. "They captured Luce."

"We're leaving now! Everyone retreat!" Erza ordered, ushering her guild mates out of Phantom Lord's guild hall.

_"They've taken one of your chosen mates." _A deep voice growled in Natsu's mind. _"You must get her back!" _

"Like hell we're gonna let you run away!" A Phantom Lord mage exclaimed, as he rushed towards the retreating Fairy Tail mages.

"YOU!" Natsu roared, dropping to the floor and grabbing ahold of the Phantom Lord mage. "We're gonna have a nice chat!"

"Natsu! What are you doing?!" Happy shouted, as he flew up next to Natsu.

"What do you think?!" Natsu growled, dragging the Phantom Lord mage behind him. "I'm going to save Luce!" With a strong pull, Natsu dragged the struggling Phantom Lord mage out of the guild hall.

"Erza! How can we retreat like this?!" Gray yelled, still itching to get revenge against Phantom Lord. "We've gotta avenge Levy and the others!" However Gray was surprised when Erza gently placed her hand on his shoulder. The ice mage was shocked to see tears falling from Erza's eyes. "...Erza?"

"Please Gray...we've gotta retreat for now." Erza pleaded, her voice shaking slightly. "Master's loss is too much for us to take right now."

"Alright, let's go." Gray said quietly, as he followed the rest of his guild mates out of Phantom Lord.

A few hundred feet outside of Phantom Lord, Natsu continued to drag the kicking and screaming Phantom mage. The dragon slayer didn't look back, as smoke and fire billowed out of Phantom Lord's guild hall.

"Now...you're gonna tell me where Lucy is." Natsu growled, his grip on the mage's shirt tightening.

"I...I have no idea w-who you're talking about..." The Phantom Lord mage said, before he suddenly howled in pain. The Phantom mage's entire body was engulfed in flames, as Natsu continued to drag him through the dirt.

_"He is withholding information, you must strike fear into his very soul." _Another deep voice said with a slight snarl.

"Speak up." Natsu said in almost demonic tone, as he shot the enemy mage a glare so fierce that it would kill weaker men. "If Lucy has a single scratch on her, I'll burn you to a crisp, but I'll make sure you're still barely clinging to life. Then I'll feed you to the Vulcans, and let them tear you to shreds. After that I'll come back to your guild, and kill all your friends and family with my bare hands!"

"H-Holy shit..." The Phantom Lord mage breathed out, as his eyes widened in pure fear. "I...I r-really don't know anybody by that name! But our headquarters is located in the hills straight ahead! Maybe she's over there!"

_"You must show them that they are to never interfere with a dragon and his chosen mates, make an example out of him." _The rumbling voice from earlier growled.

"Thanks for your cooperation." Natsu said, slamming his foot into one of the Phantom Lord mage's knees. The enemy mage roared in pain, as he felt his knee cap shatter. "Now, go crawl back to your friends and tell them what happened to you." Natsu payed the man little attention, as he cried out in agony. Turning his back to the Phantom Lord mage, Natsu began to make his way towards Phantom Lord's headquarters. "Never mess with a dragon's mate." Natsu growled under his breath, as he began to sprint towards the hills ahead.

"Natsu..." Happy whispered, as he flew above the dragon slayer. "What's gotten into you?"

* * *

(Phantom Lord's Headquarters)

"Ugh..." Lucy groaned, as she slowly regained consciousness. The blonde's eyes widened when she felt that her hands were tied behind her back. "Eh?! Where is this?! Where the fuck am I?!"

"I see that you're finally awake, Lucy Heartfilia-sama." A deep voice said from behind Lucy.

"Who the hell are you?!" Lucy yelled, as she backed away from door behind her.

"I'm Phantom Lord's master, Jose." Jose replied, as he stepped into Lucy's cell.

"Phantom Lord!" Lucy exclaimed with a panicked look. _"That's right...I was captured by that 'rain' girl from the_ Elemental_ 4."_

"I apologize for tying you up and putting you in this filthy cell." Jose said, as he approached Lucy. "But you're still a captive. Please try to understand."

"Untie me now you bastard!" Lucy screamed, as she got onto her knees. The celestial spirit mage leveled a fierce glare on Phantom Lord's master. "I'm no captive! How dare you hurt Levy-chan and the others!"

"Depending on your attitude we might treat you as a VIP, instead of a captive." Jose explained, smirking down at Lucy.

"What?" Lucy growled, her glare sharpening. However Lucy's tough facade dropped the second she felt a centipede crawl up her thigh. "HYAH!" Lucy let out a girlish scream, as she began to thrash around; trying to get the disgusting bug of her.

"See? You don't want to stay in this cell right?" Jose asked, an amused smirk still plastered on his face. "If you behave, we'll move you into a suite."

"Wh-Why did you attack us?" Lucy asked, sitting back onto her knees.

"Us?" Jose parroted, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Ah, you mean Fairy Tail." A twisted smile slowly spread across Jose's face. "That was purely a bonus. Just a bonus." Jose's creepy smile never left his face, as he crossed his arms behind his back. "Our true objective was capture a certain individual. That certain individual happened to belong to Fairy Tail, so we thought why not kill two birds with one stone..."

"A certain individual?" Lucy repeated in a confused tone.

"You're so slow that I can't believe you're a daughter of the Heartfilia family." Jose said, causing Lucy's eyes to widen. "Who else could it be? Daughter of the Heartfilia conglomerate, Lucy Heartfilia-sama."

"H-How do you know about that?" Lucy asked, as she hung her head.

"I heard...you were hiding your social status from your guild." Jose replied with a slight chuckle. "However, I can't understand why the daughter of one of the richest men in Fiore would partake in such cheap and dangerous work, but..."

"So then you...kidnapped me?" Lucy asked, raising her head to look up at Jose.

"Oh no, don't be absurd." Jose said, as he waved dismissively. "It was none other than your father who hired us to get you." Lucy's eyes widened and a shocked look spread across her face when she heard this.

"No..." Lucy said through clenched teeth, lowering her head once again. "Y-You're lying...Why would he?"

"Isn't it normal for a father to want his pretty daughter to return home when she runs away?" Jose questioned, his smirk widening.

"He wouldn't!" Lucy shouted suddenly, catching Jose off guard. "He would never bother to do that!" The celestial spirit mage's head shot up, and she glared at Jose once again. "I won't ever go back! I will never go back to that hell hole!" Lucy continued to stare at Jose defiantly. _"I will never abandon Natsu, or Fairy Tail!" _

"My, my, what a troublesome little girl." Jose said, releasing a light sigh.

"Release me at once." Lucy demanded, gritting her teeth.

"I cannot do that." Jose said, causing an embarrassed look to spread across Lucy's face.

"B-But I need to go to the bathroom." Lucy admitted, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"Tch, such a lame excuse, isn't it?" Jose asked, cocking his head slightly.

"No...I really mean it...can't...hold it...much longer..." Lucy said, as she began to squirm in place.

"Go right ahead." Jose said, pointing to a bucket behind Lucy. The blonde's jaw hung open, as she stared at the dirty bucket in the corner.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me." Lucy muttered under her breath, as he face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Ho, ho, ho it's such a lame excuse that you won't catch us off guard." Jose taunted, however Phantom Lord's master was surprised to see Lucy walk over the bucket.

"A bucket, huh..." Lucy said, as she reached under her skirt to pull down her panties.

"You're actually gonna do it?!" Jose shouted, earning him a glare from the blonde.

"I said I had to fucking go, didn't I?!" Lucy exclaimed, averting her eyes in embarassment.

"What a shameless young lady, and such a foul mouth on her!" Jose huffed, turning his back to Lucy. "She's lucky I'm such a gentleman."

"To bad for you I'm not very ladylike!" Lucy exclaimed, as she kicked Jose straight in the balls. The blonde's kick was so strong that it lifted Jose several inches off the ground. All the air left Jose's lungs as he collapsed to the floor. The man's hands instantly went to cover his crushed manhood. Phantom Lord's could barely breath, a few tears even escaped his eyes. "A classic excuse isn't so bad after all, you dick. Now be a good boy." Lucy turned to walk out the door, but she was shocked to see that the door had been replaced by a large open window. "Eh?"

"Ha, ha, ha." Jose managed a pained laugh, as he continued to wreath on the floor. "It's a...pity isn't it? This...is our...sky prison." Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at the ground far below. With a loud grunt, Jose managed to get back onto his feet. "How dare...you do that...to me." As Jose neared, Lucy couldn't stop an image of her father appearing in her head. The blonde's jaw clenched, as she imagined going back to her previous life. "Now...come to me...It's time for your punishment...I have to teach you to fear the Phantom."

Lucy took another glance at the ground below her. It was a extremely long fall, and there was no way she'd survive. But there was no way she was going to return to her father. As Lucy weighed her options, she began to feel a familiar magical presence rapidly approaching. The magical power was overpowering and caused her knees to grow weak, but at the same time it made her feel extremely safe and secure. There was only one person who's magic could make her feel like this. Then Lucy heard his voice, it was extremely faint but she knew she had heard. Taking once last glance down, Lucy took a deep breath. Moments later Lucy fell through the large window, letting gravity speed her decent towards the ground below.

"THE HELL?!" Jose screamed, as he collapsed to his knees once again.

_"I know I heard his voice. I know I sensed his magic. I'm sure he's here." _Lucy thought, feeling air rush past her as she raced towards the ground. "NATSUUUU!"

"LUCY!" Natsu exclaimed, as he sprinted as fast as his legs could take him. The scenery blurred by, as Natsu ran with incredible speed. As soon as the dragon slayer was close enough, he leaped into the air. Natsu felt a powerful wave of relief wash over him when he felt Lucy fall into his arms. The pink-haired dragon slayer pulled Lucy in tight, and quickly spun around. Both mages crashed into a low stone wall, Natsu taking the brunt of the impact. Lucy had managed to land on top of Natsu, her large breasts pressing into his face.

_"My face is buried in Lucy's tits." _Natsu thought, as a slight blush spread across his face. _"I can die happy now." _

"Whoa! Lucy fell from the sky!" Happy exclaimed, flying up to both mages.

"I...I knew it!" Lucy said, a warm smile gracing her face. "I knew you'd come for me Natsu."

"Are you okay Luce?" Natsu asked, as he tore apart the ropes binding her hands.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lucy replied, causing Natsu to let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God, I was so worried Luce." Natsu said, pulling Lucy in for a tight hug. "I was so worried they'd take you away."

"I'm fine, thanks to you Natsu." Lucy said, returning Natsu's embrace. _"He's so warm." _

"Great! Let's head back to the guild now!" Happy cheered, as Natsu released Lucy.

"Huh? We're at these bastard's headquarters! So..." Natsu tried to argue, but Happy cut him off.

"Erza told us to retreat." Happy pointed out, causing Natsu to falter for a moment.

"I know! But we need to take these guys out before they attack us again!" Natsu argued, glaring at the building behind them.

"But master is really hurt." Happy said, causing Lucy's eyes to widen.

"We'll avenge Ji-chan by kicking all there asses!" Natsu exclaimed, his anger growing with each second that passed. _"Plus I need to teach them a lesson for stealing Lucy away from me!"_

"It's impossible all by yourself Natsu!" Happy countered, earning a growl from the dragon slayer.

"I don't care, I've overcome impossible odds before." Natsu counter, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Happy and Natsu quickly delved into a back and forth argument.

"Everyone's injured Natsu!"

"I'm not."

"Nab even broke some bones!"

"He's weak."

"Warren is really hurt too."

As Natsu and Happy argued, Lucy felt an overpowering sense of guilt envelope her. Every word spoke was another pang of guilt in her heart. All of her nakama were hurt and suffering because of her. The guild was destroyed because of her. Levy, Jet, and Droy were hospitalized because of her.

"I'm sorry." Lucy whispered, her voice shaky. Both Natsu and Happy stopped their argument when they heard Lucy's soft voice. "I'm so sorry. It's all...It's all my fault." Lucy turned to look at Natsu and Happy, tears pouring from her eyes. Natsu's heart instantly broke when he saw the pain and anguish in Lucy's eyes. "But I...still want to stay in the guild...I love Fairy Tail...I love all of my nakama." Lucy chocked back a sob, as she locked eyes with Natsu. _"...And I love you." _

"H-Hey now!" Natsu said in a worried tone, crouching down next to Lucy. The dragon slayer immidiately wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulders. "What's wrong Luce?! Of course you can stay! No one wants you to leave! We're not gonna let these bastards take you away from us! You're not going anywhere!"

"Natsu...we should head back to the guild." Happy said, earning a quick nod from Natsu.

"Y-Yeah." Natsu said, as he stood back onto his feet. The dragon slayer smiled faintly, helping Lucy wipe away her tears. "It's probably for the best." Natsu then turned around, and patted his back. "Hop on Luce."

"Y-You're going to carry me?" Lucy squeaked, her face tinging pink.

"Yeah, you must be exhausted." Natsu said, flashing Lucy a toothy grin. "I can carry you back now problem."

"O-Okay." Lucy stuttered out, as she climbed onto Natsu's back. The blonde wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck, as his hands grabbed ahold of her thighs. As Natsu stood onto his feet, Lucy felt surrounded in an overwhelmingly pleasant warmth and tingling sensation. Lucy let out content sigh, as she buried her face into the crook of Natsu's neck. Within moments of their departure, Lucy's eyelids became heavy; allowing sleep to overcome her.

As Natsu retreated back to Fairy Tail, with his precious cargo in tow, Jose was struggling to stand back onto his feet. Phantom Lord's master was still nearly incapacitated by Lucy's strong kick. Every time Jose managed to get back onto his feet, he would quickly collapse back onto his knees; as an enormous wave of pain would wash over him. Releasing a feral growl, Jose slammed his fist into the ground; causing it to crumble under his powerful strike.

"How dare you do that to me you little bitch!" Jose exclaimed in a furious tone, as veins bulged along his face. "I will destroy your guild, and kill all of your friends. Then I'm gonna drag your ass back to your father by your fucking hair!"

* * *

**And done! That's another chapter. Things are really starting to ramp up now aren't they. Not a super long chapter, but I don't really want to rush through this arc like with the Galuna Island arc. Now before anybody jumps to conclusions, the voices Natsu was hearing in his head aren't Igneel and Valinor. It's more like his magic communicating with him, and influencing his actions. Remember it was stated earlier in the fic that Natsu is so overprotective of Lucy, Erza, and Mirajane is because of his magic. So I thought it would be a cool ****idea if his magic could speak with him. Also it appears that Natsu and Juvia have met before. So what did you guys think? Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW(Amount of reviews last chapter was disappointing let's try to step it up this time!), and PM any ideas you have for this fic.**

**P.S. I recently just finished watching Akame ga Kill! and Kill la Kill! I thought both were amazing anime in their own ways. I enjoyed Kill la Kill! a little more than Akame ga Kill! However Akame ga Kill! was a nice change of pace from what I usually watch. While I enjoyed Kill la Kill! the whole way through, beginning to end, I felt that Akame ga Kill! really suffered near the end. The beginning episodes of Akame ga Kill! were amazing, and I was totally invested in the story. Then the anime really started deviating from the manga, and it kinda just became a mess near the end. Like the amount of main characters death in the last like four episodes is utterly ridiculous *Spoilers Ahead if you haven't seen the anime* At the end of the fucking anime only Akame and Najenda are still alive, every other member of Night Raid dies! Even Tatsumi, the main guy we follow throughout the story, fucking died in the end! I felt that Tatsumi, Mine, and Leone's deaths were all completely uncalled for and felt rather cheap, especially Mine who kinda just died out of nowhere(she literally looked unscathed when she dies, and she fucking dies two seconds after confessing her feelings to Tatsumi, gah!) I hear they're thinking of remaking the Akame ga Kill! anime after the manga ends. Which I'm totally open to, because the new anime is supposedly going to follow the manga much more closely (I want to see that Mine x Tatsumi confession scene animated damn it!) Actually I'm kinda tossing around the idea of writing an Akame ga Kill! fan fiction, because there's a serious lack of pics for that series (Which is baffling, because there's soooooo much potential) But it's still not guaranteed right now, maybe when I finish another one of my pics. So if I had to rate Kill la Kill and Akame ga Kill!**

**Kill la Kill! 9/10 (Loved nearly every second of it. Fantastic look, sound, characters, and story. It is such a unique anime, and there's absolutely nothing else like it. If you haven't checked it out, definitely give it a try. But be warned there is A LOT of fanservice, it kinda serves a purpose though)**

**Akame ga Kill! 7.5/10 (Loved beginning, ending left me feeling empty and unsatisfied. Absolutely beautiful looking anime, with decent voice acting and music, and great characters. Would absolutely love a remake that more closely follows the manga. I recommend checking this one out as well, just be prepared for the crap ending, and be warned this anime is extremely violent.)**

**Well that's all, until next time I'm outta here.**


	16. Chapter 16 Jupiter

**Hey guys, I'm back with the latest chapter for this fic. I apologize for the slightly longer than average wait for this chapter, but I've been extremely busy lately. With college, work, and *cough* Fallout 4 *cough* I've had very little free time to do any writing. And when I do have free time to write, I'm usually so mentally or physically exhausted that I can't write more than a few hundred words at a time. So thank you all for your patience. Well this story has officially passed 800 followers, is almost at 750 favorites, and is over 300 reviews. I'm blown away by the amount of support you guys are giving this, you're all so awesome. I know that some of you are disappointed that certain girls aren't going to be paired with Natsu. Like I said previously, I won't be expanding the official harem passed the six girls I've already picked; possibly seven if Brandish tries to help Fairy Tail. But I'm willing to write sort of oneshot lemons for a few pre-selected girls. ****These girls wouldn't be in the official harem, but they would still have their chance with Natsu. However this is all up to you guys. I will post a poll on my profile to see if you would like this or not. If you guys do want these lemons it will only be for select girls; around four to five (I'll post another poll with possible girls if you guys want the lemons). Also did you guys read the latest chapters?! I won't spoil anything, but holy shit are things fucking popping off! Shit is just getting so damn intense! Well that's all I have to say, so let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all in Hiro Mashima's very capable hands.**

* * *

(The Next Day; Forest Outside Magnolia)

"Stupid old man..." Porlyusica, Fairy Tail's main physician, mumbled to herself as she mixed a potion. The pink-haired woman had a frown on her face, while she poured more ingredients into her potion. Porlyusica was a specialist in healing magical wounds, but she despised humans; so she moved deep into the forest by herself. Despite her hatred for humans, Porlyusica could not turn away the Fairy Tail that brought a battered Makarov to her door. When the potion was finished, Porlyusica set it down on a nearby table. Continuing to grumble to herself; Porlyusica walked up to Makarov and slapped him across the face.

"O-Oi! Take it easy!" Alzack exclaimed with a concerned look on his face.

"What are you doing to our master...I mean your patient!?" Bisca shouted in an angry tone. The green-haired cowgirl glared at the pink-haired healing mage.

"Tch, he rushed into that battle without even considering his age, and look at him now. He...really is such a foolish man." Porlyusica said, staring down at the incapacitated Makarov. Suddenly the pink-haired woman whipped around, and glared daggers at Bisca and Alzack. "How long are you humans gonna stay here?! Leave already!"

"No...well...we're worried about our master's condition." Alzack stammered out, as he scratched his chin.

"Please Porlyusica-san, allow us to look after him for a while." Bisca pleaded, clasping her hands in from of her chest. "We're really concerned."

"Go home." Porlyusica ordered, turning her back on the Fairy Tail mages. Bisca opened her mouth to shout at the woman, but Alzack quickly stopped her. "You're worried faces are like salt in a patient's wounds." Porlyusica sighed as she stared down a Makarov's weak form. "This is 'wind' lineage magic. Whoever did this to Makarov completely drained him of his magical power. As soon as his magic was drained, it floated into the air, and eventually disappeared. If we could've gathered some of Makarov's magical power before it disappeared, we could heal him faster. But it's far too late now, which means this will take a while."

"I-Is that so?" Bisca asked, earning a nod from the healing mage. "We'll tell everyone else then."

"What the hell are you still doing here!?" Porlyusica shouted, startling the Fairy Tail mages.

"We thought you wanted us to hear what you had to say!" Alzack exclaimed, as he hid behind Bisca.

"Go home already! You humans smell disgusting!" Porlyusica screamed, grabbing a nearby broom and wildly swinging it at Bisca and Alzack.

"KYA! EXCUSE US!" Bisca yelled, as she began to push Alzack out of Porlyusica's home. "Come on Alzack move you ass!"

"I'm going!" Alzack exclaimed, sprinting out of the house with Bisca right behind him. When Porlyusica was sure Bisca and Alzack were gone, she sighed and turned back to Makarov.

"You've caused so much trouble since the old days." Porlyusica said in a low tone; her eyes full of sadness. "For mages, their magic is like their life source. The greater the magical power one possesses, the more magical drain hurts. If you don't fight your hardest...you could die like this." Porlyusica released a shaky breath, and gently placed a hand on Makarov's shoulder. "You're...really an idiot...please pull through...your children...they're scared and hurt...please they need you now more than ever."

* * *

(Remains of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"AH! Shit that hurts!" Nab shouted, as a fellow guild member wrapped bandages around his wounds.

"I can't believe we had to retreat!"

"It's so embarrassing!"

"We couldn't avenge Levy and the others!"

"Damn it!"

"At least Natsu managed to beat up that Gajeel asshole pretty good."

_"This all my fault." _Lucy thought, hanging her head in shame. The blonde could feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes, as she listened to her guild mates. Lucy began to tremble slightly; trying to hold back her tears. However Lucy gasped when she suddenly felt a strong hand gently squeeze her shoulder. Turning her head, Lucy saw Natsu staring back at her. The pink-haired dragon slayer had a concerned look on his face.

"You okay Luce?" Natsu asked in a soft tone, giving Lucy's shoulder another light squeeze. It killed the dragon slayer to see Lucy so sad, so he was doing everything in his power to comfort her. "I'm here for you, you know that right?"

_"You're always there for me Natsu. In the short time we've been together, you've cared for me more than anybody else I know." _Lucy thought, as she slowly nodded her head. _"That's one of the reasons I love you." _

"Hey, are you alright Lucy?" Gray asked, as he and Elfman walked up to the duo. "Are you still worried?"

"N-No...I'm not worried...it's just..." Lucy's expression saddened again, as she clenched her fists tightly in her lap. "I'm so sorry."

"Well, daughters of rich families are prime targets." Elfman said, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "But it's a man's duty to protect them."

"Don't say shit like that you idiot." Gray hissed, as he punched Elfman in the arm.

"But I'm confused too." Happy said, looking up the blonde celestial spirit mage. "Lucy, why did you hide who you really were from us."

"I wasn't really hiding it...Natsu already knew, and I was planning to tell you eventually...But I ran away from home, so I didn't really feel like talking about it." Lucy explained, as her face suddenly contorted in anger. "My father never gave a shit about me, even after I ran away over a year ago...And now he wants me back all of a sudden. Father did all this to us, so that he can get me back. He's horrible." Lucy let out a shaky breath, and her saddened expression returned. "Although...all of this happened because I ran away from home in the first place...It's all my fault."

"N-No that's not true! Your father is the bad one!" Elfman exclaimed, trying in vain to cheer Lucy up.

"Elfman you idiot!" Gray shouted, punching Elfman in the arm again.

"Uh...I mean...It's all because of Phantom Lord..." Elfman quickly corrected his mistake.

"No, it's because of my selfish actions...I can't believe I caused everyone so much trouble." Lucy said, as her shoulders sagged. "I'm really sorry. Everything should go back to normal if I go back home, right?"

"Like hell it will!" Lucy was surprised by the sudden exclamation. She looked up to see Natsu grinning brightly at her. "Things could never go back to normal without you Luce!" Lucy's eyes widened when she heard Natsu say this. "I mean the term 'lady' doesn't really fit you. You belong in this nasty old bar, laughing and happily going on adventures with Erza and I." The dragon slayer approached the blonde, and once again placed his hand on her shoulder. "You did you say wanted to stay here. It won't do you any good to return to a place you hate." Natsu's grin suddenly widened, and he jabbed his thumb towards his heart. "You're Lucy of Fairy Tail now, right? You're apart of our family. This is your home."

"Natsu..." Lucy's breath hitched, as she felt tears begin to stream down her cheeks. The blonde had been completely moved by the dragon slayer's heartfelt words. _"I don't __know what I'd do without you Natsu. I'd be lost if you weren't by my side."_ Choking back a sob, Lucy covered her face with her hands.

"Let it all out Luce." Natsu said softly, patting the blonde's back. Next to Natsu and Lucy, Elfman was crying as well.

"Tch, don't cry; it doesn't suit you at all." Gray chastised with an annoyed look.

"He's right!" Elfman exclaimed, as he continued to cry. "Men are weak to tears!" Gray simply grimaced, and returned to comforting Lucy.

Across the room, Cana's face scrunched up in irritation as she stared at her tarot cards. The brunette card mage was sitting on the floor; trying locate Mystogan using her cards, but she wasn't coming up with anything. Cana's brow furrowed, as she studied each card carefully. Moments later Cana growled angrily, and swiped the cards away with a huff.

"It's no good! I can't find Mystogan using my damn cards!" Cana shouted in anger, as she placed her hands on her lap. Before Cana could say anymore, she heard Mirajane speak up from behind her.

"I see..." Cana turned around to see Mirajane speaking into a communication lacrima. "That's too bad. Lucy is there target, so they'll definitely come attack us again. So many are injured...we'll be in a tough spot. Master is seriously injured. We can't find Mystogan. And no one has seen Gildarts in years. You're are only hope..." Mirajane had an annoyed look on her face as she stared at the face in the communication lacrimia. "Laxus..." The white-haired barmaid didn't really want to ask Laxus for help, but they were seriously low on manpower, and they could use all the help they could get.

"Huh?" Laxus sneered, giving Mirajane a fake confused look.

"*Sigh* Please come back...it's an emergency Laxus." Mirajane pleaded, as she clasped her hands in front of her chest.

"HAHA! Serves that old geezer right!" Laxus laughed, earning him a harsh glare from Mirajane. "It doesn't concern me at all. I really could care less about what happens to this 'Lucy' girl. You all can take care of it yourselves."

"Laxus!" Cana yelled, as she shot to her feet. "You piece of shit!"

"The old geezer started this fight. Why should we have to clean up his mess?" Laxus asked nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Didn't you here me? They're targeting Lucy, one of our nakama." Mirajane said in an upset tone, once again glaring at Laxus.

"Who's that? Oh wait...she's that big-titted newbie, right?" Laxus asked, causing Natsu to perk up from across the room. "Tell her if she becomes my whore, I'll help out." Natsu's eyes widened in fury when he heard this. The pink-haired dragon slayer's fists clenched, as he slowly walked towards Mirajane. "And tell that old shit to hurry up and retire, so he can make me the new master."

"How dare you...you fucking monster." Cana snarled, as she clenched her teeth in anger.

"Hey now, is that how you talk to someone when you're asking a favor?" Laxus asked, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. "Why don't you both strip for me? I'm pretty weak for sexy-"

"Listen here you son of a bitch!" Natsu snarled, suddenly standing in front of the communication lacrima. "You better shut your big fucking mouth right now!"

"Oho, that's pretty big talk coming from you." Laxus taunted with a massive smirk on his face.

"When you get back from whatever fucking job you're on, I'm going to destroy you." Natsu said in an icy tone, getting closer to the lacrima. "I can't forgive you for insulting Lucy, Mira, Cana, and Jii-chan. So...I'm going to break you Laxus. When I'm through with you, you'll begging for me to kill you." Natsu could swear that he saw real fear flash in Laxus' eyes. "You better prepare yourself Laxus, because no one is going to stop me from kicking the shit out of you next time...However...maybe just maybe...if you come back and help us out...and you apologize to Lucy, Mira, and Cana...I might let what you said slide, and I won't have to make you beg for mercy." Laxus looked like he was about to say something, but Natsu quickly cut him off. "But...if you don't come back. What I said holds true, and I will destroy you next time we meet."

_"Whoa, I've never seen Natsu like act like this..." _Cana thought, as a faint blush spread across her face. _"I can't believe he's standing up for me like this...Maybe he's not such a kid after all." _

"Tch, good fucking luck you little punk. I'm the strongest person in the guild, and I could take you down with my eyes closed." Laxus said, trying his best to recompose himself. He would never admit it, but what Natsu had said had truly scared him. The cold and emotionless tone the dual dragonslayer used, caused a shiver to run down Laxus' spine. "You're all on your own...I want nothing to do with your petty fucking-" Laxus' communication was cut off when Mira smashed the lacrima with her bare hand.

"Mira..." Cana said in a shocked tone.

"I cannot believe...such a disgusting person...is a member of Fairy Tail." Mirajane said, as angry tears poured from her eyes. "Fine! Next time, I'm joining the fight too!"

"O-Oi, Mira take it easy now." Natsu said, placing a hand on the white-haired barmaid's shoulder. The dual dragon slayer had a concerned look on his face. _"I know how badly you want to fight Mira, but you can't right now." _

"Yeah, what are you talking about?!" Cana exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"Lucy...she was kidnapped while I was still here...I didn't even notice...I should've tried to help her..." Mirajane cried, as tears continued to pour from her eyes.

"Mira, you need to calm down. You'd just be a burden to the others in your current situation." Cana said in a soothing tone, placing her hand on Mirajane's other shoulder. "Even thought you're a former S-class mage."

"I know you're upset Mira, but please don't blame yourself." Natsu said, pulling the barmaid in for a comforting hug. "Remember you told me the same thing a few days ago when this whole mess started. We need everyone to be strong, and we can't have you breaking down right now."

_"Thank you Natsu. You're always there to comfort me and give me the strength to carry on." _Mirajane thought, as she returned Natsu's embrace.

* * *

(Fairy Hills Dormitory)

Erza let out a deep sigh, as she stood under the hot water in her shower. The scarlet-haired knight needed to clear her head, so she decided to run home and take a quick shower. Erza ran her hands through her scarlet locks, as she stared at the ceiling above. Her thoughts lingered on the battle with Phantom Lord the previous day.

_"Master is injured...Laxus and Mystogan aren't here. We have so many injured...I'm the only S-class mage here...the only other person even close to strength is Natsu...but even with the both of us it's impossible to continue fighting." _Erza suddenly punched the wall of her shower, remembering how she had let Makarov go after Jose by himself. _"If only...I had went with him...God I'm pathetic! It's all my...No, Natsu wouldn't want me blaming myself for this. Come Erza, pull yourself together..." _Erza was torn from her thoughts when the ground beneath her began to shake. _"What the hell!?" _

Turning off the water, Erza quickly dried off and got dressed. Seconds later she burst out of her room, and was sprinting towards Fairy Tail.

* * *

(Back at the Guild Hall)

"What the fuck is going on?!" Natsu exclaimed, as the entire guild hall began to shake.

"Everyone get outside quick!" Alzack shouted from the stairway. Everyone followed Alzack out behind the guild. What they saw shocked them all to the core. Walking across the water towards Fairy Tail was a massive building; with six legs sprouting from its base. Spattered across the building's exterior was Phantom Lord's guild mark. Everyone stared at the approaching building with wide-eyes. This was the scene that Erza saw when she reached Fairy Tail.

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"It's a walking fucking guild!"

"That's got to be Phantom Lord!"

"I never imagined they'd attack us like this." Erza said, as she broke out in a cold sweat. "What should we do?"

Standing at the top of Phantom Lord's guild hall, Jose looked down at the gathered Fairy Tail mages. Jose had a furious look on his face, as he glared at the figures gathered below.

"Prepare to fire **Jupiter**." Jose ordered, veins bulging along his face. "Wipe their pathetic guild off the map."

Erza's eyes widened when she saw **Jupiter** extend out of the approaching guild hall. Seeing that the massive cannon was preparing to fire, Erza immidiately sprang in to action.

"This isn't good!" Erza yelled, turning to her nakama gathered behind her. "Everyone get down now!"

"What are going to do?!"

"Don't do anything stupid Erza!"

Erza paid no mind to the shouts behind her, as she ran forward. "**Re-equip**..." The scarlet-haired knight's body began to glow brightly; a new pair of armor adorning her body. This new armor was bulky and darkly colored. The first part of the armor consisted of of a lower plate that covered Erza's stomach, and most of her chest. The plate bore a simple diamond and striped pattern engraved into it near the top. On top of that lies another plate which hung from her neck and went down to her midsection. Extending over this top plate were four round, metallic extensions which attached underneath the plate around her neck. The neck featured a large cylindrical plate which was sectioned off into six progressively larger sections. Around each shoulder were very large shoulder guards with four distinct sections; with a large spike jutting off to separate each section from the next. The armor also featured large gauntlets which were sectioned similarly to the rest of the armor; the sections becoming smaller as the gauntlets moved in towards her hands. Underneath the bottom chest plate was a skirt bearing a woven pattern. The edge of her skirt bore small spikes, and one larger spike hung beneath every other small one. Several curved spikes jutted out from the outward facing sides of her greaves. Lastly, atop her head sat a large, spiked headdress. "**Adamantine Armor!**" Erza roared, as she took a defensive stance. "I won't let you destroy our home you bastards!"

"Don't tell me she's gonna try to stop that attack?!"

"Even with that armors amazing defensive powers, that's insane!"

"No! Erza you'll die!"

"ERZA!" Natsu shouted, as his heart thundered in his chest. The dragon slayer tried to rush over to the scarlet-haired knight, but Gray stopped him. "GRAY! LET ME GO NOW!"

"Natsu! You have to believe in Erza!" Gray exclaimed, trying his best to hold Natsu back. However Gray gasped when he saw the look Natsu gave him. The dragon slayer's eyes were full of worry.

"I do believe in her! But we're a team, and I'm not going to abandon her now! I'm going to help her!" Natsu shouted, as he shook out of Gray's grasp. "Keep everyone back! Erza and I will handle this!"

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled, trying to run after the dragon slayer. But Gray quickly stopped her.

"You heard Natsu, they'll take care of this." Gray said, holding onto Lucy's shoulder. "I know you want to help them Lucy, but this way above you right now. We just have to believe in those two."

_"Natsu..." _Lucy thought, as she watched Natsu run up to Erza.

"I thought I told you all to get..." Erza turned to see who was approaching her, but her eyes widened when she saw that it was Natsu. "Stay back! I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I'm not leaving Erza. It's pretty much suicide for you to try to stop that thing by yourself." Natsu said, placing his hands on Erza's shoulders. "Let me help you." Erza's widened when she felt Natsu's magic start to enter her body.

"Natsu...this has never worked...we've tried dozens of times...but each time we've failed..."

"Just trust me." Erza stopped dead in her tracks when she heard this. The dragon slayer's eyes were closed in concentration, as he continued to pump his magic into Erza. "It will work this time."

"Okay...we'll try this one more time." Erza thought, turning back forward. _"This better work Natsu. Because if it doesn't you'll be hurt far worse than I will." _Erza could feel her magic trying to combine with Natsu's. The dual dragon's slayer's magic was usually very chaotic and unpredictable, which made it nearly impossible for it to meld with someone else's magic. But this time, Erza could sense that Natsu's magic was much calmer and more focused. _"Come on Natsu. Give me everything you've got." _She suddenly felt encompassed by an overwhelming warmth, as Natsu's magic began to combine with her own. Both Erza and Natsu's breathing and heartbeats were in sync; their magic now fully intertwined. Everyone gasped when a wall of flames coated both mages. Erza's eyes widened when she didn't feel the heat of the flames that covered her body. She could feel Natsu's magic freely flowing with her own in perfect harmony. _"We...We actually did it!" _

"What...What's happening?" Lucy asked in a stunned tone.

"I...don't believe it...they did a **Unison Raid**." Mirajane gasped, as she stared at the duo with wide eyes. "It's...it's incredible."

_"They're amazing." _Lucy thought, staring at Natsu and Erza in awe. _"I hope I can become strong like them one day." _

"You ready Erza?" Natsu asked, his eyes still closed in concentration.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Erza exclaimed, just as **Jupiter **began to charge up. "Everyone get back now! That thing is about to fire!" All of the Fairy Tail mages heeded Erza's words of caution, and moved as far back as they could. Moments later **Jupiter **fired a massive beam of magical energy at the gathered Fairy Tail mages. Erza's back muscles tensed, as **Jupiter's **shot rapidly approached. "Get ready Natsu!"

"RAGHHHHHHH!" Natsu and Erza roared, pumping out as much of their magic as they could. The flames surrounding both mages tripled in size; creating a massive wall of fire. "**FIRE DRAGON'S BLAZING ARMOR!**" Mere seconds later, **Jupiter** struck the enormous wall of flames. However to everyone's shock the flames, enhanced by the massive defensive power from Erza's armor, seemed to be holding **Jupiter** back.

"WHAT?!" Jose roared, watching his most powerful weapon be stopped by two mere mages.

"Natsu! I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!" Erza shouted, as bits of her armor started to fall off. The scarlet-haired knight could feel her magic rapidly draining. Her body began to shake, as most of her energy was quickly used up. However, Erza was suddenly reinvigorated when she felt another burst of Natsu's magic flow into her.

"Don't give up!" Natsu screamed over the howling sounds that were created by the two dueling spells. More and more pieces of Erza's armor began to peel off, as both mages continued to battle against **Jupiter**. "Just a little longer!"

"T-This is impossible!" Jose exclaimed, completely dumbfounded by what he was seeing. _"How can those Fairy bastards be stopping my most powerful weapon?!" _

"That's it! Natsu! I can't hold it any longer!" Erza yelled, as she flew back into Natsu's arms. Just as the wall of fire disappeared, **Jupiter** finished firing and ran out of energy. The dragon slayer caught Erza, and gently started to lower her to the ground. The scarlet-haired knight's armor was in tatters and she was panting heavily, but aside from extreme exhaustion Erza was relatively unscathed. Natsu however took a slightly harder beating. Since the dragon slayer wasn't wearing any type of armor, he took dozens of hits from flying debris and shrapnel. Scattered across Natsu's body were dozens of cuts, but the dragon slayer hardly noticed as he held Erza. The scarlet-haired knight had a smile on her face, as she turned to look at Natsu. "*Pant* *Pant* W-We...did it...*Pant* Natsu."

"Yeah we did Erza." Natsu said, flashing Erza a toothy grin. Aside from his cuts, Natsu looked as if he hadn't broken a sweat. Muttering broke out amongst the Fairy Tail mages, as they stared at Natsu and Erza in shock.

"They...stopped it...it's incredible..."

"Both of them...saved us..."

"But...it looks like Erza won't be able to fight for a while..."

_"Damn those Fairy bastards." _Jose thought, as he angrily grabbed the microphone next to him. "First Makarov...Now Erza is unable to fight..." Jose's voice echoed out from Phantom Lord's mobile guild. "None of you stand a chance now. Hand over Lucy Heartfilia. Right. Now."

_"They're trying to take your mate away from you once again." _Natsu's fists clenched tightly, hearing one of the growling voices in his head.

_"They must be punished." _The other voice said with a snarl.

"You're out of your fucking mind!" Alzack shouted, causing a resounding cheer from the other Fairy Tail mages.

"There's no way we're just gonna hand over one of our nakama!" Bisca screamed, as she rallied behind Alzack.

"Yeah! Lucy's our nakama, we'd never abandon her!" Macao yelled, which caused several other Fairy Tail mages to make their voice heard.

"That's right!"

"Get the hell out of here you Phantom bastards!"

"We'll never hand over Lucy!"

Lucy began to shake slightly, as she listened to all of her nakama come to her defense. The blonde celestial spirit mage could feel tears forming in her eyes, so she quickly moved a hand across her eyes to wipe away the forming tears.

"Hand her over." Jose demanded in a serious tone.

"WE'D RATHER DIE THAN HAND OVER ONE OUR OWN!" Erza screamed, earning another resounding cheer from the rest of the Fairy Tail mages.

"OUR ANSWER WILL NEVER CHANGE YOU BASTARD!" Natsu roared, his face contorted in anger; veins bulging on his forehead. "WE'LL KICK YOUR ASSES!" The dragon slayer was panting heavily, as he felt intense rage coursing through his body. "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE LUCY AWAY FROM ME!" Most of the Fairy Tail mages didn't pay too close attention to Natsu's words, as they let out another loud cheer. However, what Natsu said wasn't missed by Lucy.

_"Natsu...do you...do you love me too?" _Lucy thought, as tears finally began to pour from her eyes. The blonde tried her best to suppress her sobs, but it was in vain. _"I know you'll save me Natsu, no matter what the odds are." _

"I see..." Jose said calmly, as he clenched his teeth in anger. "Then I'll fire an even bigger and more powerful **Jupiter**! Now endure these 15 minutes of hell until we can fire again!"

"WHAT?!"

"**Jupiter**...can fire again!?"

"Shit!" Gray cursed, as he turned his gaze towards Natsu and Erza. While the dragon slayer looked like he was ready to fight; Erza was still panting heavily and looked as if she could barely move. _"There's no way they could stop another one of those shots." _Suddenly a massive magic circle formed over Phantom Lord's guild hall. Dozens of shadowy figures poured out of the magic circle, and began to fly towards the Fairy Tail mages.

"What?! Their soldiers are coming after us now!?"

"No way! Aren't they going to fire **Jupiter** again!?"

"These guys have no mercy!"

"Prepare to feel unrelenting pain, Fairy Tail." Jose's voice echoed out from the mobile guild once again. "You have two choices. Be slaughtered by my soldiers, or be blow away by **Jupiter**."

"Impossible! Is he going to kills his own men as well!?"

"H-He's obviously bluffing!"

"Yes he will." Cana said, shocking all of the mages. "Those soldiers were created by Jose's **Shade **magic. They're not human. They're just ghost puppets that Jose created." Cana's brows furrowed, as she gazed at the massive cannon staring them down. "We have to do something about **Jupiter**."

"I'll go smash it into pieces!" Natsu exclaimed, punching an electrified fist into his palm. "I need teach these bastards a lesson!"

"Natsu..." Cana said, as she scanned over the dragon slayer's numerous wounds. "You're hurt. Let's get you some first aid before you run off."

"No..." Natsu said, pressing a flaming hand over his cuts. The dragon slayer hissed in pain, as he cauterized his wounds. "*Pant* 15 minutes right?" Natsu's skin was smoking, as his wounds closed. "I'll get it done." Natsu spun around and waved Happy over. "Happy! Let's get going!"

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, picking Natsu up and flying him towards Phantom Lord's guild hall.

_"Stay safe you idiot." _Cana thought with a small smile, as she watched Natsu and Happy fly off. _"We're all counting on you." _

"Elfman! Let's help flame brain out!" Gray shouted, running after Natsu.

"Let's do this!" Elfman roared, as he followed closely behind Gray.

"Loke and I will stay back, and help bolster out defenses! All right?!" Cana called out to the three mages.

"Yeah, let's get to work." Loke said, walking up next to Cana. As Loke prepared to fight, he turned his head to look at Lucy. The blonde had a slight blush on her, as she finished wiping away her tears. However Lucy gasped when Mirajane suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Lucy! Come with me!" Mirajane said, as she began to drag Lucy off. "We have a secret hideout! We'll keep you there until this war is over!"

"But..." Lucy said, tearing her hand away from Mirajane's. "I have to fight with everyone else! It's my fault all of this is happening!"

"No, Lucy." Mirajane said, as she shook her head. "No one thinks that. We're doing this for our nakama who were defeated, for our guild, and to protect you...Everyone's proud to be fighting in this war." Lucy suddenly turned her gaze towards her feet. "So please listen to me."

"Alright-" Before Lucy could say anymore she felt a burst of magic hit her face, and her entire world went black. The blonde celestial spirit mage collapsed into Mirajane's arms. Mirajane quickly handed Lucy over to Reedus.

"Reedus! Take Lucy to our hideout!" Mirajane ordered, as Reedus rapidly drew a horse drawn carriage on his large stomach. A large poof of smoke exploded out, before the carriage appeared in front of Reedus. "We're counting on you."

"Oui!" Reedus said, loading Lucy into the carriage and racing off down the street.

_"I don't have any more power to fight..." _Mirajane thought, as she transformed into a mirror image of Lucy. _"But I'll protect my nakama at all costs." _Mirajane's eyes hardened, while she watched her nakama battle Jose's ghost soldiers. _"We have 14 minutes until **Jupiter** fires again...Natsu, we're counting on you." _Mirajane quickly grabbed Erza, and lead her into the guild. The fighting continued outside the guild hall. Magic shots rang out from Bisca and Alzack's guns, and walls of sand swirled around Max. A Phantom Lord ghost soldier was about to get the jump on Max, but four cards impaled themselves in the phantom's face. Seconds later the cards exploded, completely disintegrating the ghost. Max turned around to see Cana land next to him.

"Sorry Cana." Max said, wiping sweat off his brow.

"Just stay focused Max!" Cana shouted over the raging battle, throwing another set of explosive cards at another batch of phantoms. "We have to protect the guild at all costs!" The cards exploded, taking out all of the ghosts. "They haven't felt the sadness of losing nakama, or the pain of having their guild destroyed! We won't let these scum take down our guild!"

From the second floor of the guild hall, Mirajane watched the battle unfold down below. Next to Mirajane sat Erza. The scarlet-haired knight was barely conscious, as she regained her lost magical energy. Mirajane cast a glance over at Erza and sighed. _"Only nine more minutes until **Jupiter **strikes." _

* * *

(Phantom Lord's Mobile Guild)

"Natsu, are you really gonna try to destroy that thing?" Happy asked, as they landed on top of **Jupiter's **barrel.

"I hate to admit it buddy, but there's no way I'm gonna put a dent in this thing from out here. But..." Natsu said, poking his head into **Jupiter****'s **barrel. He smirked when he saw a light at the very end of the barrel. "It looks like we can get in from here." The dragon slayer quickly climbed into the barrel; with Happy following close behind him. Natsu quickly crawled down the barrel towards the light at the end. When the pink-haired dragon slayer reached the end of the barrel, his eyes widened when he saw a massive lacrima in the middle of the room before him. "Damn, I've never seen a lacrima this big before." The dragon slayer grinned, as he jumped out of **Jupiter's **barrel. "Well smash this thing up!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." A voice said from Natsu's side.

"Looks like there's a guard!" Happy exclaimed, as Natsu began to charge towards where the voice had come from.

"Who cares!? I'll smash anyone who gets in my way!" Natsu roared, coating his fist in red hot flames.

"I have to stop you." The voice said, as Natsu drew ever closer.

"Get out of my way!" Natsu yelled, his fist shooting forward. The dragon slayer's eyes widened when he lost control of his fist, and it smashed into his own face.

"Natsu! What the heck are you doing?!" Happy exclaimed, running up to Natsu.

"My body just moved on its own!" Natsu growled, as he rubbed his sore cheek.

"Tch, you're the one getting in our way." The voice said, as the assailant stepped into view. Natsu's opponent was a man his height with white and black hair done up in a top knot; he also sported a black horizontal marking across the bridge of his nose and along his cheeks.

"Move you piece of shit! I'm destroying this cannon!" Natsu exclaimed, taking a fighting stance.

"Natsu, if you destroy that lacrima they won't be able to fire **Jupiter**." Happy explained, as he hovered over Natsu.

"I...said I won't let you...didn't I?" The unnamed man asked, tilting his head.

"I don't have time for this talking bullshit!" Natsu roared, as he charged towards the man. The dragon slayer's fist became engulfed in flames, as he lunged at his enemy. "**Fire Dragon's Ir**-" Natsu was cut off when his own fist crashed into his face once again. "Damn it, it happened again."

"Natsu! You don't have time for this guy!" Happy exclaimed in a panicked tone. "You've gotta destroy this lacrima as fast as possible!"

"You bastard!" Natsu shouted, shooting towards the man once again. However the man dodged Natsu's strike and kneed him in the stomach. All the air left the dragon slayer's lungs, as he was sent skidding back.

"I'm Totomaru, and I have control over fire magic..." The now named Totomaru said, looking down at Natsu. "All flames are controlled by me."

"Just flames huh? How about lightning?" Natsu asked, slowly standing back onto his feet. Totomaru's eyes widened when he saw Natsu's body become completely engulfed in lighting.

"Eh?" Totomaru said, taking a step back. "Wait! You're Fairy Tail's dual dragon slayer!"

"Yep! I can use fire and LIGHTNING!" Natsu roared, as his cheeks began to bulge with electricity. "**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**" A large stream of concentrated lightning fired from Natsu's mouth, and completely engulfed Totomaru. When Natsu's lightning died down, Totomaru was a charred and sparking mess. After a few moments later Totomaru collapsed to his knees; twitching slightly every now and then as Natsu's lightning continued to course through his body. "Now time to deal with this thing!" Wheeling around, Natsu's gathered a large amount of lightning in both his hands. "With lightning in my left hand...and lightning in my right...together they make...**Lightning Dragon's Brilliant Flash!**" Natsu clapped his hand together, causing a deafening thunderclap to echo throughout the room. A massive ball of lightning formed in Natsu's hands, and he threw it at **Jupiter's **lacrima. When the ball of lighting struck the lacrima a blinding flash filled the room, as the lightning exploded outwards. The room then began to shake, as **Jupiter****'s **lacrima began to crumble and collapse.

* * *

(Battle Outside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"Everyone look!"

"WHOA!"

"YEEHAW!"

"The cannon is collapsing!"

"All right!"

"HAHA! Don't underestimate Natsu!"

A loud cheer sprang out amongst the Fairy Tail mages that were left to defend the guild hall. Reinvigorated at the sight of **Jupiter's **destruction, the Fairy Tail mages continued to ward of Jose's phantom soldiers.

"Great job Natsu." Cana said under her breath; a slight blush spread across her face. The brunette card mage then turned to rally her nakama. "Now we have nothing left to fear! Destroy the enemy!"

* * *

(Back Inside **Jupiter's **Lacrima Chamber)

"Way to go Natsu!" Happy cheered, happily flying around the dragon slayer.

"It was nothing buddy." Natsu said, as wiped excess electricity from his mouth. The pink-haired dragon slayer then turned to face Totomaru, his eyes full of fury. "Now it's my turn to crush you Phantom Lord! I'm gonna destroy your guild piece by piece!" The dragon slayer then began to menacingly advance towards Totomaru; lightning sparking off both of his fists. "Starting with you."

_"H-Hey master, this isn't wasn't what you told me!" _Totomaru thought, as he started to shake in fear. _"I had no idea Fairy Tail still had such a powerful member!" _

* * *

**And done! Not a super long chapter, but I felt this was a good stopping point. Because shit really starts to ramp up the next few chapter in the manga, and I didn't want to dive into that just yet. All of that will pick up next chapter. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't give a shit? Let me know! Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW, and PM me any ideas you might have for this fic. Also remember to vote in the poll on my profile if you do or don't want lemons for certain girls. ****Remember these girls won't be in Natsu's harem, but they will still get their shot with him. I should have the next chapter out fairly soon.**

**P.S. I started an Akame ga Kill fic, it would be awesome if you guys could check it out, and give me your feedback.**

**So until next time, I'm outta here.**


	17. Chapter 17 Abyss Break

**Hey guys I'm back with another chapter! Sadly this will be the only quick update chapter, because I want to write a couple chapters for my Akame ga Kill! fic. Well you guys voted, and it looks like some girls will be getting ****lemons with Natsu. I'll close the current poll, and post a new one with girls that you can choose from. There will be ten choices, and the top five girls will receive a lemon scene (Although if a certain girl, who I won't name, doesn't get voted for I might just give her a lemon anyways just for the fun of it :P ) I'll have the new poll posted on my profile, and you'll have up to 5 votes to spread amongst the choices. So after you're finished reading this chapter get to voting! Also did any of you watch the latest anime episode? Damn, I knew Igneel was going to die, but I still wasn't ready. As soon as that sad music started playing I couldn't stop myself from crying. Then next week's episode is gonna full of gutshots to the feels as well. After next weeks episode we'll likely be starting the Avatar arc, but I have a feeling we might get a few filler episodes, which I'm totally okay with. Well with all of that out of the way, let's get to the fic!**

**P.S. I know some of you might be disappointed about this, but I'll be skipping most of Gray's fight with Juvia. The fight would have played out pretty close to how it happened in the cannon story, so no use in rewriting a fight we've already seen. However the ending to the fight will be different, so look out for that. Also the fight will be more like the anime version than the manga ****version, just so you all know.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters**

* * *

"M-Master J-Jose..." A Phantom Lord mage stuttered out in fear, as he slowly approached Jose. "**Jupiter**...has been destroyed by a Fairy Tail mage...from the inside..."

"Those...disgusting...Fairy bastards..." Jose said, clenching his fists in rage. "Activate...the Phantom Mk. II!"

"Yes master!" The Phantom mage exclaimed, before he ran out of the room as fast he could.

"You will pay for this Fairy Tail..." Jose said, clenching his teeth in anger.

Down in **Jupiter's **lacrima room, Natsu grinned as he watched the lacrima begin to crumble to pieces. The dragon slayer's lightning attack had shattered the massive lacrima in a single blow.

"Way to go Natsu!" Happy cheered, as he happily flew around pink-haired dragon slayer.

"It was nothing buddy." Natsu said, wiping excess electricity from his mouth. The dual dragon slayer then turned to face Totomaru, his eyes suddenly full of fury. "Now it's my turn to crush you Phantom Lord! I'm gonna tear your guild apart piece by piece!" The dragon slayer then began to menacingly advance towards Totomaru; lightning sparking off both of his clenched fists. "Starting with you."

_"H-Hey master, you never mentioned anything like this!" _Totomaru thought, as he began to shake in fear. _"I had no idea Fairy Tail still had such a powerful __member!" _The fire manipulator gasped when Natsu raised him off the ground by his throat; the dragon slayer's hand tightly wrapping around his neck. Totomaru howled in pain as electricity from Natsu's hand coursed into his body. The dragon slayer cocked his fist back to finish Totomaru off, but he was stopped when the entire room suddenly began to shake.

"What's happening?!" Happy exclaimed, dodging some falling debris.

"...H-He can't be planning on doing that!?" Totomaru exclaimed, as his eyes widened. "This room has no means of staying horizontal!"

"Horizontal?" Natsu repeated in a confused tone. As soon as the dragon slayer said this, he was sent flying across the room as it suddenly became inverted. Totomaru managed to free himself from Natsu's grasp, and struggled to not be sent flying across the rotating room. "Ugh...God...What the...fuck is...happening?" Natsu's face started to turn green as his motion sickness started to kick in.

"It's finally finished..." Totomaru said, as a smirk spread across his face. "This is our guild's most powerful weapon. Super Mage Giant Phantom Mk. II!"

"Gah...what...the...hell are you blabbering about?" Natsu asked, managing to stand back up on wobbly legs. "And...what's up...with that...stupid fucking name?"

* * *

(Outside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"HUH?!"

"The guild hall is standing up?!"

"What are they planning this time?!"

All the Fairy Tail mages stared in shock, as the Phantom Lord guild hall raised itself out of the water. Their mouths were agape, while they watched sections of the guild rotate and reposition themselves. They all broke out in a cold sweat when massive arms and legs sprouted out from the guild hall. Finally, steam erupted out from the top of the guild as a head emerged. Before the Fairy Tail mages stood a enormous mechanized giant.

"Wh...What the hell is that?" Cana breathed out, as she stared at the mechanical monstrosity with wide eyes. "You've got to be fucking kidding me..."

"It's a giant..." Loke said, taking a fearful step back.

"Look out! It's coming this way!"

"Is that thing going to trample the guild?!"

"Focus on the enemy in front of you!" Cana exclaimed, trying to give hope to her nakama. "Natsu will take out that giant monster for us!"

"Uh...but Natsu's already in there...and that thing is a vehicle..." Max pointed out, causing Cana to deadpan.

"Oh...that's right..." Cana said, as she instantly deflated. _"It's up to Gray and Elfman to help that idiot out...we're so fucked." _The brunette card mage gasped when she saw the mechanical giant begin to write symbols in the air.

"What's it doing!?"

"It looks like it's writing something!"

_"Wait those are...SHIT! This is getting really bad!" _Cana thought, recognizing what the giant monstrosity was writing. "That's a magical seal! Their guild is a mage as well!?"

"WHAT?!"

"That seal is...**Abyss Break**!?" Mirajane gasped, as she realized the spell that the mechanical mage was casting. "Isn't that a forbidden spell!?"

"Such a huge seal...this is really fucking bad!" Loke said, gritting his teeth. "The dark blast will level everything from here all the way to Kardia Cathedral!"

_"Natsu, Gray, Elfman...you're our only hope now." _Cana thought, as she broke out in a cold sweat.

* * *

(Back in **Jupiter's **Lacrima Room)

"*Gag* Shit...I ain't feeling too hot..." Natsu groaned out, clutching his stomach in pain. The room was still shaking, as the giant guild advanced towards Fairy Tail. "Happy...find me something...to barf into..."

"What...the hell is wrong with this guy? A minute ago he was being all badass...now he looks like he's about to lose his lunch." Totomaru said, as he stared at Natsu in confusion.

"Ugh...damn my motion sickness...why does...this fucking room...have to be moving?" Natsu said, suddenly covering his mouth to stop himself from vomiting.

"He can't handle vehicles?!" Totomaru exclaimed, stupefied that such a powerful looking mage could be crippled by something so trivial. The fire manipulator grinned evilly, as several different colored balls of fire formed in front of him. "Nows my chance! It's my turn to kick your ass!" Totomaru's grin widened when the balls of fire before him melded together to form a ball of rainbow colored flames. "You can might be able to eat flames, but I wonder what will happen if you try to eat them like this!? My ultimate attack...**Rainbow Fire!**"

"*Gag* Ugh...I don't want to taste the rainbow." Natsu groaned, as his stomach rumbled loudly. **(A/N I literally could not resist writing a Skittles reference XD) **

"Take this!" Totomaru roared, preparing to launch his most powerful attack. However before the fire manipulator could cast his spell, his hands were suddenly frozen over. "Huh?! Wait-" Before Totomaru could say anymore, he was completely frozen solid. Natsu turned to see Elfman and Gray standing behind him. Elfman walked up to the frozen Totomaru, and used his **Take Over** magic to transform his arm. With his new monster-like arm, Elfman threw Totomaru through the room's ceiling.

"Tch, you really are pathetic Natsu." Gray said, walking up to the dragon slayer with a dazed Happy in his arms.

"A vehicle shouldn't make a man sick, he should make them sick instead!" Elfman exclaimed, as his arm returned to normal.

"That makes no sense." Gray said in an annoyed tone, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Thanks you guys...I'm starting to feel a little better now." Natsu said, as his stomach stopped doing front flips.

"So..." Gray said, gazing at the destroyed lacrima next to them. "This is what's left of **Jupiter**? Not bad ash for brains."

"But why did the building suddenly start to move and lurch?" Elfman asked, as he scratched the side of his head.

"I'll go outside and see what's going on!" Happy cheered, flying out the newly made hole in the ceiling. Barely a minute later Happy bolted back into room with a panicked look on his face. "It's terrible! Phantom Lord's guild has turned into a giant and is casting some type of forbidden spell!"

"Uh, that's kinda hard to believe buddy." Natsu said, quirking a pink eyebrow.

"Yeah, you probably just ate some bad fish and now you're seeing things." Gray said, as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not lying!" Happy exclaimed, wildly waving his paws around. "I overheard Loke say that whatever spell this thing is casting, will create a dark blast that will wipe everything out from here to Kardia Cathedral!"

"T-That's half the town!" Gray yelled, his eyes widening in shock.

"What type of spell could do that? Wait...forbidden spell...dark blast..." Natsu said, as he racked his brain trying to figure out what the spell was. Suddenly the dragon slayer's eyes widened. He recalled a conversation he had with Mirajane about forbidden spells a few months back. "It has to be **Abyss Break**!"

"**Abyss Break**?" Gray parroted with a confused look.

"Mira mentioned it one time when we were talking about forbidden spells." Natsu explained, causing Gray and Elfman's eyes to widen. "The spell can be cast immidiately if the caster possess knowledge of the four basic elemental magics: **Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth**. But whatever this thing is hasn't used the spell yet. So that means there has to be four mages in this guild with control over the four basic elemental magics that are powering the spell."

"The Elemental Four!" Gray exclaimed, as realization suddenly struck him.

"Exactly!" Natsu cheered, punching a flaming fist into his palm. "We already took down their fire mage. All we need to do is eliminate their water, earth, and wind mages. Then there won't be any elemental magic to power **Abyss Break**."

"Then let's split up and search for the last remaining members of the Elemental Four!" Gray exclaimed, as he ran down a nearby hallway.

"This sounds like a job for a man!" Elfman yelled, running down a separate hallway.

"We'll stop this thing and save the guild!" Natsu shouted, as he sprinted down the last remaining hallway. "Let's go Happy!"

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, following closely behind Natsu.

_"Lisanna, I'll keep our nakama and our guild safe, this I swear!" _

* * *

(Battle Outside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"What the hell are we going to do?!"

"We'll just have to believe in Natsu and the others!"

"We're so screwed!"

"Mira..." Cana said, walking up next to the blown out window Mirajane was standing behind. "How long before that spell activates?"

"I think...maybe about ten minutes..." Mirajane replied, releasing a long sigh. "I wonder if there's a way to destroy that thing's power source..."

"Those guys inside that monster must be thinking the same thing..." Cana thought, as she clenched her fists. _"I wish I could be in there helping too...but we need as many people out here as possible."_

"Natsu's not the only one in there?" Mirajane asked, in a confused tone. She had only seen the pink-haired dragon slayer fly off to fight that giant. Who else could have gone?

"No...Gray and Elfman are in there too." Cana replied, causing Mirajane's eyes to widen in shock.

"ELFMAN!? WHY?!" Mirajane exclaimed, a panicked look spread across her face, which still mirrored Lucy's.

"Come on Mira, don't act so surprised...Elfman is..."

"He can't!" Mirajane shouted, looking a Cana through the busted window. "Elfman can't fight! You should know that as well Cana!"

"Of course he can fight...he helped in the fighting the other day." Cana said, trying her best to reassure Mirajane.

"It's one thing to fight a bunch of foot soldiers." Mirajane said, as she looked down at her feet. "But if he has to go up against one of the Elemental Four...the way he is now..."

"Mira..." Cana said, giving the barmaid a sympathetic look. "I know you and Elfman suffered a lot when Lisanna passed away, but Elfman is trying to keep on pushing forward."

_"Just like Natsu told me to do...I have to keep on moving forward." _Mirajane thought, as she tightly clenched her fists. _"If Elfman can keep on moving...I should be able to as well..." _Mirajane prepared to head outside, but she was stopped when Erza grabbed her hand.

"Wait Mira, I'm coming too." Erza said, trying to stand back up on weary legs. "Natsu needs us both."

"No...you still need to rest Erza." Mirajane said, helping Erza lay back down. "Please, Natsu wouldn't want you to strain yourself any further."

"Tch, I'm pathetic." Erza spat, as she glared at the ceiling overhead. "I'm in here being useless when everyone else is out there fighting to protect our guild." Erza clenched her teeth in anger. _"I should be out there helping you Natsu." _

"Hush now Erza." Mirajane chastised with a small frown. "You did an amazing job protecting the guild. Without you there wouldn't be a guild for us to defend. You deserve to rest for a bit." Mirajane smiled and gently squeezed Erza's shoulder. "Don't worry...you can go help Natsu as soon as you've fully recovered."

"...Thanks Mira." Erza quietly, turning over in her makeshift bed. "Stay safe out there...and don't worry about Elfman. Cana's right, he can fight."

"We've come a long way since we were kids, haven't we Erza?" Mirajane asked, as she stood back up.

"We sure have. I remember when we used to practically hate each other." Erza replied, a small smile gracing her face. "Please Mira...stay safe..."

"I'll be fine Erza..." Mirajane said, before she climbed out the busted window she had spoken to Cana through.

"Mira!" Cana exclaimed, watching the barmaid climb out of the window.

"Mira-san!"

"Stay back! It's too dangerous out here!"

"Get back Mira-chan!"

"I'm the one you're after, right?!" Mirajane yelled, making her ways towards the front lines. The barmaid was still transformed as Lucy, and she hoped that she could trick Phantom Lord. "Stop attacking our guild right now!" Mirajane began to sweat, as the fighting slowly died down around her. _"That should buy Natsu and the other just a little time!" _

"Master that's our target!" A Phantom Lord mage exclaimed, gazing at the blonde mage through a pair of binoculars.

"No it's not you idiot..." Jose grunted out, as he pushed past the mage and grabbed microphone next to him. "Be gone...you little imposter."

_"There's no way!" _Mirajane thought, her eyes widening in shock.

"I've knew from the start that Lucy wasn't here." Jose explained in a menacing tone. "There's no way that the person we're targeting would be sent onto the front lines."

"Damn." Cana muttered, as she clenched her fists in frustration.

_"I'm sorry Natsu...everyone...I'm completely useless..." _Mirajane thought, tears falling from her eyes. The white-haired barmaid's transformation had fallen, and she returned to her normal appearance. Seeing that Mirajane was in distress, Cana walked up and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry Mira..." Cana said, glaring at the giant as it continued to draw its magical seal. "Elfman can fight."

"Should we run for it?!"

"That magical seal looks like it's almost complete!"

"You want to abandon the guild?!" Cana shouted, flashing a fierce glare at the distressed mages.

"Ah...no ma'am!"

"Our nakama are in there fighting for us too!" Cana exclaimed, pointing at the giant before them. "We have to have faith in them!"

_"Elfman...I believe in you...but you __should't be fighting..." _Mirajane thought, clasping a hand over her heart. Suddenly Mirajane gasped when she scooped up in one of the giant mage's hands. "AHHH!"

"MIRA!"

"MIRA-CHAN!"

"You attempted to deceive us...I really don't like you girl." Jose said, a evil smirk spread across his face. "I think I'll just crush you."

"MIRA!" Cana screamed, her eyes full of fear. _"Natsu...anybody...here her please!" _Cana tried to rush forward, Loke grabbed her shoulder. "Hurry up and stop this thing! Natsu! Gray! Elfman!"

"AHHHH!" Mirajane's pained screams echoed out, as the giant's hold on her slowly crushed her body.

Running through the mechanical giant, Natsu suddenly came to a skidding stop. Several shouts and cries of pain stopping him in his tracks. _"That sounded like Mira screaming." _

"Natsu what's up?" Happy asked, floating up next to the dragon slayer.

_"One of your mates is in danger!"_

_"You must save her now!" _

"Happy...we're making a quick detour." Natsu said, sprinting towards where he had heard Mirajane's screams come from.

"O-Okay..." Happy said in a confused tone, following after the dragon slayer.

_"Don't worry Mira, I'm coming to help you!" _Natsu thought, his body becoming engulfed in flames.

* * *

(Inside the Phantom Mage Mk. II)

"I Elfman, will protect Fairy Tail and my sister with my very life!" Elfman roared, as he ran down an ornately decorated hallway. "Come out you Elemental Four bastards!" As if heeding his call, Elfman heard the ground behind him begin to creak. "Looks like I've found one of you."

"Salut." Sol said with an eerie smile on his face. "My name is Sol. You may address me as Monsieur Sol."

"Perfect timing." Elfman said, throwing off his cloak. "I can take you down, and help me stop **Abyss Break**." Elfman held out his arm, and it quickly began to change. "**Beast Arm: Black Bull!**"

"Oh?" Sol said, cocking his head to the side. "Will you be able to fight with just that one arm?" A evil smirk spread across Sol's face, as he stared Elfman down. "It seems that the rumors are true...I know all about you...actually my head is full of details on all of you Fairy Tail mages."

"Don't you ever shut the hell up?!" Elfman roared, swinging his transformed fist at Sol. But Sol easily slinked around the powerful attack.

"I do believe...you had a younger sister, no?" Sol asked, causing Elfman's eyes to widen. This distraction gave Sol enough time to strike. "**Sable Dance!**" A whirlwind of sand instantly formed around Elfman, and began to attack him from all sides.

"Where did he go?!" Elfman shouted, as he was blinded by the raging sandstorm.

"**Roche Concerto!**" Sol materialized out from the ground behind Elfman, throwing a barrage of large stones at the Fairy Tail mage. Elfman was sent skidding back by the torrent of stones, but the takeover mage managed to stop himself. Sol took this opportunity to taunt Elfman, while he still recovered. "Two years back, you attempted a **F****ull-body Takeover**, but it went horribly wrong...you went on a rampage...your precious little sister gave her life to stop your path of destruction, no? And the trauma from that incident has stopped you from performing a **Full-body Takeover **ever since."

"SHUT THE HELL UP! **Beast Arm: Iron Bull!**" Elfman roared, swinging his now metallic arm at Sol. However the Elemental Four member simply melted into the ground; easily dodging Elfman's attack. Sol suddenly appeared behind Elfman, and stretched his body to wrap around Elfman's arm. "Gah...what...a disgusting...guy."

"Non, non, non, that is nonsense with three nons!" Sol exclaimed, as he continued to snake around Elfman's arm.

"Get the hell off me Muncher Sol!" Elfman shouted, as he tried to yank Sol off his arm.

"It's Monsieur actually, you welch." Sol corrected, kicking Elfman square in the jaw. Elfman was sent crashing into the ground hard by Sol's kick. "Oh? Is this battle already at its finale?"

_"This freak is way stronger than he looks." _Elfman thought, as he wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth. _"Looks like I have no choice!" _The ground around Elfman began to tremble, as he attempted to perform a **Full-body Takeover**. However, an image of Lisanna appeared in Elfman's mind, and his takeover began to falter. Elfman started to pant heavily, as his takeover completely failed.

"You should not attempt that which is impossible. You just wasted most of your magical energy on that failed attempt!" Sol exclaimed, kicking Elfman in the chest. "**Platre Sonata!**" A large fist made out of earth and debris slammed into Elfman, and sent him crashing into a nearby wall. "This is the power of the Elemental Four." A hole had been created in the wall; allowing Elfman to see what was happening outside. The takeover mage's eyes widened at what he saw.

"Nee-chan!? Natsu!?"

"I could really use your help Elfman!" Natsu roared, as he tried to pry apart the hand that was crushing Mirajane.

* * *

(2 Minutes Earlier)

"AHHH!" Mirajane screamed, the giant's hold on her tightening even more. It was now becoming hard for Mirajane to breath, and her breaths were becoming shallow and weak. Mirajane's eyesight became foggy, as she felt her consciousness slowly slipping away.

"MIRA!" The white-haired barmaid's eyes shot open when she heard her name. Suddenly the wall behind her exploded in massive ball of fire. Through the roaring flames burst a pink-haired dragon slayer. "I finally found you!"

"Natsu?!" Mira gasped, watching as the dragon slayer scrambled up the robotic arm that was holding her.

"Are you okay Mira?!" Natsu asked nearly out of breath, as he finally reached the white-haired barmaid.

"Y-Yeah, just please get me out of here." Mirajane struggled to say, the mechanical mage's grip crushing her even further.

"Alright! Hold on, I'll get you out!" Natsu yelled, as he began to pry apart the fingers that were holding Mirajane captive. However Natsu only managed to move the fingers apart a few inches, which allowed Mirajane to breath easier. The dragon slayer's muscles bulged and veins popped along his arms and legs, as he poured every ounce of strength he had into moving the fingers farther apart. "Damn it! I can't move them anymore!" Natsu wanted to use his flames to give him some more power, but Mirajane was far too close and would be caught in the crossfire. _"Shit! These fucking things won't budge anymore!"_

"It's okay Natsu." Mirajane said, causing Natsu's head to snap towards her. "You can leave me here. You need to stop-"

"NO!" Natsu roared, managing to move the fingers another inch. "I will not leave you here!" The dragon slayer clenched his teeth; feeling his muscles burn under the intense strain. "I already lost Lisanna! I CANNOT AND WILL NOT LOSE YOU TOO!"

_"Natsu..." _Mirajane thought, as she felt tears sting her eyes.

_"Dig deep inside you!" _

_"Drag out every ounce of strength you have!" _

_"YOU MUST SAVE HER!" _The voices in Natsu's head shouted in unison.

"RAAAAGH!" Natsu roared, putting every last drop of strength he had into his arms and legs. But even with everything he had, Natsu still only managed to move the fingers another two inches. "Damn it! Move you bastards! Someone fucking help me!" As if by divine intervention, a explosion rang out next to Mirajane and Natsu. The pair turned to see Elfman gazing at them from a newly made hole in the wall.

"Nee-chan?! Natsu!?"

_"Whoever is up there thank you!" _Natsu thought, thanking every deity he could think of. "I could really use your help Elfman!"

"Oh? It looks like your older sister is out there, she was once feared as the 'demon.' Ah, and it appears that pesky dragon slayer is out there as well. My, my it would appear all of her magical power has dwindled...how unfortunate." Sol said, walking up to Elfman and stomping on his back. "I'm afraid Mirajane-sama is currently being punished for deceiving us. She would be crushed by now, but that bothersome dragon slayer has interfered. As soon as I'm finished with you, I'll go deal with him."

"R-Run Elfman..." Mirajane said, feeling fresh tears form in her eyes as she watched Sol repeatedly kick Elfman. "STOP IT! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO ME! JUST LEAVE ELFMAN ALONE!"

"Mira..." Natsu breathed out, as he struggled to keep the giant fingers from tightening once again. _"Damn it! If I go help Elfman, Mira will be crushed. But if I don't, he might end up dying. What the hell do I do?!" _

"You'll have to go through that pain once again." Sol whispered in Elfman's ear. "First losing your younger sister, and then your older sister, both right before your eyes."

"Elfman! Please just get out of here!" Mirajane screamed, tears now pouring from her eyes.

"I...I swore that I'd never see your tears again, nee-chan..." Elfman said through grit teeth. The takeover mage remembered the promise he had made on Lisanna's grave the day he had confronted Natsu. The dragon slayer's words still ringing clearly in his mind. "So why are you crying?!" Elfman whirled around and punched Sol in the stomach. "Who made you cry?!" The ground around Elfman began to tremble once again. Mirajane's eyes widened when she saw what Elfman was attempting to do.

"You mustn't Elfman! You can still only use one arm!" Mirajane yelled in a worried tone.

"She's right." Sol said, clutching his bruised stomach.

"It's not my fault Lisanna died." Elfman said, as an image of a younger Lisanna and Mirajane appeared in his head. "Natsu helped me realize this two years ago. But...I was weak back then, and I did lose control that terrible day. I've been afraid of my strength and my magic. I've been so worried that I'd lose control again." Elfman's fists clenched tightly, as he glared at Sol. "I don't want to feel like that ever again!" A massive amount of magical energy started to gather around Elfman. "I want to be a man who is strong enough to protect you, nee-chan!" Mirajane and Natsu's eyes widened as they watched Elfman's entire body begin to change. "Don't worry Nee-chan! Natsu! Hold on just a little longer!"

"Th-This isn't good." Sol said, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"**Full-body Takeover: Beast Soul!**" Elfman roared, now fully transformed into a massive monster. Letting out a monstrous roar, Elfman charged toward Sol.

"Non! Non! Non! Non!" Sol chanted, as he attempted to flee from Elfman. However, Sol could not run away from Elfman's fury. The takeover mage caught up to Sol, and assaulted him with a barrage of powerful punches and kicks. When Elfman was finally finished, Sol was unconscious and barely recognizable. In an instant Elfman was sprinting towards where Natsu and Mirajane were.

"H-Hey..." Mirajane said, as she started to shake slightly. "Can you hear me Elfman?" Mirajane gasped when Elfman crashed down next to them. "You haven't lost control again have you?" The white-haired barmaid's eyes widened when Elfman walked over to Natsu.

"You ready Natsu?" Elfman asked, causing a grin to spread across Natsu's face.

"Hell yeah! Let's get Mira out of here!" Natsu cheered, finally managing to free Mirajane with Elfman's help. Elfman grabbed Mirajane and set her down safely on top of the giant's hand.

"I'm sorry Nee-chan..." Elfman said, avoiding Mirajane's gaze. "You probably never wanted to see this face again...but I had no choice. I had to become stronger to save you and help Natsu."

"It's fine Elfman. Without you, Natsu and I would be in serious trouble." Mirajane said with a warm smile.

"Damn straight!" Natsu exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips. "You came right in the nick of time man!" The dragon slayer suddenly turned his gaze back towards the giant mechanical mage behind them. "Well I better get back in there. We still need to take out two more of the Elemental Four."

"Wait Natsu!" Mirajane called out, stopping the dragon slayer before he could take off.

"What is it Mira?" Natsu asked, raising a pink eyebrow.

"Thank you for helping save me." Mirajane said sweetly, as she walked up to Natsu and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "Now get back in there and go save the day."

"R-Right...bye!" Natsu yelled, racing back into Phantom Lord's guild hall. Mirajane giggled when she spotted the massive blush that had spread across Natsu's face.

"Nee-chan?" Elfman asked, as he wondered why his older sister's face was all red. "Are you getting sick or something?"

"No, I'm fine Elfman." Mirajane replied, trying to calm her own blush. "But thank you for rescuing me. I'm still alive because of you and Natsu."

"Nee-chan..." Elfman said, gazing down at his older sister.

"We made a promise remember?" Mirajane asked, as she hugged her younger bother. "That we'd live full lives...for Lisanna's sake."

"Nee-chan!" Elfman exclaimed, tears pouring from his eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Geez." Mirajane said with a small smile, as she released Elfman from her embrace. "What are you crying for?" The white-haired barmaid turned to that the magical seal was being drawn much slower now. "The magical seal is being drawn much slower."

"Huh, I guess Natsu was right after all." Elfman said, greatly surprising his older sister.

"What was Natsu right about?" Mirajane asked, turning to face her brother again.

"He said that if we took out the Elemental Four members that the spell would lose power." Elfman explained, as a smirk spread across his face. "And since there's only two Elemental Four members left that spell has lost most of his power."

"How'd he figure that out?" Mirajane asked in a flabbergasted tone. How had the dragon slayer figured something like that out?

"He recognized what spell this thing was casting after talking with you." Elfman replied, causing Mirajane's eyes to widen. "From there he figured that the only thing that could be powering the spell was the Elemental Four's magic."

_"He was actually listening when we talked about forbidden spell?" _Mirajane thought, as a smile graced her face. _"Well you're just full of surprised aren't you Natsu?" _The white-haired barmaid suddenly turned around, and started to make her way back towards mobile guild hall. "Let's go Elfman! The other two have to be inside the guild somewhere! We need to head inside and try to find them!"

"R-Right!" Elfman yelled, quickly following after his older sister.

* * *

(Back inside Phantom Lord's Guild Hall)

"_Man that was close._" Natsu thought, as he sprinted down a seemingly endless hallway. _"But...if Elfman wasn't there I wouldn't have been able to save Mira." _

_"One of your mates was in danger and you couldn't save her on your own." _

_"You must use all of your power to protect them."_

_"I was giving it everything I've got!" _Natsu thought angrily, listening to the voices in his head.

_"No you did not."_

_"You so have much untapped power residing deep within you."_

_"With that power you'll be able to keep your mates safe."_

_"All you have to do is dig deep inside yourself and drag it out." _

_"Untapped power?" _Natsu thought, quickly rounding a corner in the hallway. _"With it, I'll be able to protect Lucy, Erza, and Mira?" _

"Natsu, are you alright?" Happy asked, snapping the dragon slayer out of his thoughts. The blue cat was starting to get worried about his best friend. Natsu hadn't said a word since they reentered Phantom Lord's guild, and he had an angry look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine Happy." Natsu said, flashing Happy a bright grin. The dragon slayer saw the concerned look on Happy's face, and decided to try and take his mind of his worries. "Hey...I've got a great idea buddy! If I can beat up Jose this whole battle will be over, right?"

"What are you saying?!" Happy exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. "Jose is as powerful as master. There's no way you could be him Natsu!"

"But jii-chan isn't here, so who else is gonna beat that bastard up?" Natsu asked, cocking his head to the side.

"That's right, master and Erza aren't here." Happy said, his demeanor deflating instantly. "Someone is gonna have to fight Jose after all."

"I'm still here buddy!" Natsu said, patting Happy on the head. "I'll take that son of a bitch down!"

"Aye!" Happy cheered, instantly perking back up. _"I don't know why, but something about Natsu just fills me with hope." _As the duo continued to run down the hallway, a strong wind started to blow past them.

"How sad..." A voice said, as a large figure appeared in the wind before them. "When the wings of flame rot away...yes...all that doth remain is a dragon's corpse."

"Natsu, he's one of the Elemental Four." Happy said, floating behind Natsu for protection.

"Yeah..." Natsu said, as he began to sniff the air. The dragon slayer's eyes hardened; leveling a fierce glare at the man before them. "And this is the asshole that hurt jii-chan."

"I am called Aria...strongest of the Elemental Four." Aria said, as the winds surrounding him increased in intensity. "I have come to slay a dragon."

"Is that so?" Natsu asked, coating his body in electricity. _"Let's see if this will work on this bastard too!" _

* * *

(Another Area of Phantom Lord's Guild Hall)

"Rain..." Gray said, as he climbed into another part of the mobile guild hall. "I don't think it was raining before..."

"Drip, drip, drop..." A feminine voice said in front of Gray. Looking up, Gray saw a blue-haired woman walking towards him. "Yes...Juvia, the woman of rain, of the Elemental Four. Drip, drip, drop."

"So I finally found one of you." Gray said, glaring at the woman before him.

"Juvia didn't think you Fairy Tail mages would be able to defeat two of the Elemental Four." Juvia said, continuing to stare Gray down. "However, Juvia and Aria are not to be trifled with."

"Sorry, but I don't care if you're a woman or even a child." Gray said in a harsh tone, as the air chilled around him. "I don't go easy on those who hurt my nakama."

Juvia continued to stare at Gray, but her face slowly began to redden. Suddenly, Juvia turned around and began to walk the other way. "Y...Yes...I have lost this battle for sure..."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What the fuck is this!?" Gray exclaimed, staring at the rain woman in shock.

_"Uh...Juvia has been afflicted...there is a strange fluttering in Juvia's heart..." _Juvia thought, as she clasped a hand over her rapidly beating heart. _"There...has only been one other person to make Juvia feel like this..." _

"Oi woman! You can damn well help stop this thing!" Gray shouted, grabbing ahold of Juvia's shoulder.

_"Juvia...must make him mine!" _Juvia thought, swiftly turning to face Gray. _"There is no turning back now!" _The water mage swiped her arm, and Gray immidiately became encased in a sphere of water. "**Water Lock!**" But Juvia's eyes widened when she saw a large wound reopened on Gray's side. "AH! How could Juvia hurt him so!? Wh-What should Juvia do?! Juvia must release him at once!" However, Juvia gasped in shock when her **Water Lock **froze over and exploded.

_"He...He froze Juvia's **Water Lock** and shattered it to pieces...Juvia was so sure her **Water Lock **__couldn't be broken..." _Juvia thought, once again clasping a hand over her heart. _"He and Juvia...is this fate?" _

"So that's how you want to play, huh?" Gray asked, tossing off his tattered shirt. "Let's do this then!"

* * *

(10 Minutes Later)

"**Ice Geyser!**" Gray roared, freezing a torrent of water and encasing Juvia in ice. However, the ice suddenly shattered and Juvia began to fall towards the ground far below.

_"Defeat..." _Juvia thought, falling towards what was her certain death. _"With this, everything will end...Like a raindrop, Juvia will fall to the ground and scatter away into tiny droplets...An end fitting an unwanted rain woman like Juvia...Farewell, Juvia's depressing self..." _

_"Shit! I have to move fast or she'll die!" _Gray thought, as he frantically ran towards the falling woman. Sliding down a slope on the guild, Gray reached out to grab Juvia's hand. But Gray was just a moment too late, and he barely missed the falling girl's hand. _"NO! I didn't make it in time!" _Several stories above where Gray and Juvia were, a wall above them exploded. Through the smoke and debris fell Natsu Dragneel. The dragon slayer grunted in pain, as he descended towards the earth below.

"Fuck, that bastard caught me off guard with that last attack...AND NOW I'M FUCKING FALLING AGAIN!" Natsu roared, straightening himself out. The dragon slayer prepared to use his flames to rocket back up towards where Aria was, but a familiar scent suddenly hit his nose. Turning around, Natsu's eyes widened when he saw a blue-haired woman falling towards the ground below. _"I have to help her quick!" _Instead of using his flames to shoot upwards, Natsu instead used the flames around his legs to propel himself towards the falling girl.

_"This is it...goodbye cruel world..." _Juvia thought, feeling the ground rapidly approaching. The rain woman closed her eyes, and prepared for the impact. But...it never came. Instead Juvia felt herself fall into a strong pair of arms. Then the water mage felt herself flying back upwards. When she felt her savior land safely, Juvia hesitantly cracked an eye open. The first thing that Juvia noticed was that the rain had stopped, and was replaced by a beautiful clear sky. _"It's...It's so beautiful...I haven't seen a sky so clear since..." _

"Hey! I thought it was you!" A cheery voice snapped Juvia out of her thoughts. The rain woman turned to look at her savior. His face was briefly blocked by the shining sun, but the first thing Juvia saw was his infectious grin. "I knew it was you...rain, rain go away girl! Long time no see!" Juvia's ocean blue eyes widened when she heard that familiar nickname. Then she finally saw his face; that was framed by the bright sunlight behind him. She then spotted his pink hair and scaled scarf that set him apart from others, and made him so unique. Tears of joy formed in Juvia's eyes, as she gazed at the man that had managed to clear up her rainy world three years ago. When he had eventually left her, her world had once again became filled with an endless rain shower.

"Sunshine boy!" Juvia exclaimed with tears streaming down her cheeks, pulling Natsu in for a tight hug. The dragon slayer smiled warmly; holding the crying girl close to his chest. "Juvia has missed you so much. You finally brought sunshine back into Juvia's life."

"Uh...am I interrupting something?" Gray asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

* * *

**And done! Aren't I just a bastard!? I felt that this was a good stopping point, so please don't get too mad at me. So instead of Gray saving Juvia it was Natsu, and Natsu and Juvia have met before. Natsu and Juvia's prior meeting will be explained next chapter. I hope that will help better explain why Juvia will be in Natsu's harem. Now don't think Juvia will just cling to Natsu instead of Gray. Juvia will still have a Gray-sama phase before she's paired with Natsu. But I won't make it as ridiculous as it is in the canon story. Unlike the Galuna Island arc, I'm not trying to speed through this arc. I'm not trying to cram a ton of stuff into super long chapters. But next chapter will be longer I promise...if I remember that is :P Anyways, I didn't want to write a super long chapter, because I wanted to get this one out before ****Christmas. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't really care? Please let me know. Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW( We've been kinda lacking in reviews the past few chapters, so let's pick up with this one), and PM me any ideas you guys have for this story. And remember to go vote for the girls you want one shot lemons for. So until next time, I'm outta here.**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!**


	18. Chapter 18 Natsu Unleashes His Power

**Ah, it feels so good to be writing this story again. Don't get me wrong, I love all my stories and enjoy writing them. But this, and my Akame ga Kill fic, are the stories I have the main drive and motivation to write. So it's always fun to come back to these stories and come up with great new ideas for them. Well this story has already passed...900 followers!? What?! That's fucking insane! Thank you all for supporting this fic, because it's my absolute favorite fic to write and I think it really shows. This chapter will showcase how Natsu and Juvia originally met, and will ****continue more of with more of this arc's action. Also like usual, I will try to get out two to three chapters fairly quickly after this one is finished. So you have that to look forward too. Now let's get to the results of the poll. **

**These are the results out of 132 voters:**

**1\. Hisui E. Fiore with 85 votes (This one seriously shocked me. I guess you guys really want Natsu to bang a princess.)**

**2\. Ultear Milkovich with 83 votes (Not surprising, but I did expect her to take first place. I already know where I want this lemon to happen, so hopefully it works out well.)**

**3\. Cana Alberona with 82 votes (Again not surprising, I knew Cana was pretty much a guarantee. Don't know when I'll work this one in, but it will likely happen before Gildarts returns.)**

**4\. Yukino Agria with 72 votes (Really? Now this one surprised me more than Hisui. Well I guess since she'll be joining Fairy Tail and Natsu does help her after she's kicked out of Sabertooth, so I guess it makes sense you'd want her to hook up with Natsu at least once.)**

**5\. Kagura Mikazuchi with 70 votes (I was expecting Kagura to have way more votes, but I knew she's make it in the top five.)**

**6\. Lisanna Strauss with 67 votes (Now out of all of these, this one surprised me the most. I was absolutely sure that Lisanna would make it in the top five, but I guess most of you want Natsu and Lisanna to keep there brother/sister relationship.)**

**7\. Meredy with 53 votes (Meh, not too surprising to me.)**

**8\. Jenny Realight with 41 votes (Damn it! This is the girl I was talking about! But fuck it, I'm giving Jenny a lemon anyways, because I really want to! Now before any of you start complaining, "But she's dating Hibiki!" Don't worry, I have have a plan for that, and it doesn't involve Hibiki being a dick or him cheating on Jenny. I actually got the idea from Natsu's Bouncy Fairies, which is an amazing fic that I highly recommend you all check out. If you do check out the fic, and like it, leave the author a nice review and tell him I sent ya towards his fic.**

**9\. Milianna with 37 votes (Man, Milianna never gets any love. I mean come on, she's so damn sexy! Her new design after the seven year time skip, is like an instant boner popper.)**

**10\. Sherria Blendy with 23 votes (Not surprising at all. I knew Sherria wouldn't make it, but I felt like I had to include her, because I kinda shafted her and Kagura on the initial harem member poll. Also have you seen how many ways that Sherria's name is fucking spelled in the anime/manga. It's fucking ridiculous. Lucky I have a bunch of the manga volumes, which have the official translations, and her name is definitely Sherria.)**

**Well those are the results of the poll. The lucky winners are Hisui, Ultear, Cana, Yukino, Kagura, and the wild card Jenny. Hisui's lemon will obviously be after the GMG and Eclipse Gate incident. Ultear's lemon will be right before the GMG, when Crime Sorcière is helping Natsu and the others unlock their Second Origin. Cana's lemon I'm not 100% sure when it will be, but I'll try to put it in before Gildarts returns. Yukino's lemon will happen post GMG and her joining of Fairy Tail, likely before the Sun Village Arc. Kagura's lemon will likely happen sometime post GMG arc, maybe during the one year Natsu is off training with Happy, have him stop by Mermaid Heel and pay them a visit. Jenny's lemon will most likely happen during the GMG arc, probably during the Ryuuzetsu Land filler portion. Now you all have a decent idea of when these girls will get their lemons, so look forward to that. With all of that out of the way, let's get to the actual fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

_**"Singing"**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still in Hiro Mashima's very capable hands.**

* * *

(Outside Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

"It's been way longer than ten minutes, and that damn spell still has activated." Nab pointed out, clutching his bandaged arm.

"This is driving me insane! When is this hell gonna end!?" Laki exclaimed, as she destroyed a wave of shadow soldiers with her **wood make **magic. Wiping some sweat from her brow, Laki cast a glance over at the mechanical giant in front of them. "Hey...that metal giant...it looks like it's moving a lot slower!"

"Natsu and the others must be fighting their hardest in there to slow that that thing down." Cana said to herself, gritting her teeth in annoyance. "I wish I could be there with them...but I need to stay here and defend the guild...the most we can do is pray for their success." Cana cast a nervous glance over at the giant when several explosions rang out. _"Natsu, you better make it back okay." _

* * *

(Back with Natsu, Juvia, and Gray)

"Uh...am I interrupting something?" Gray asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Because it looks like you two know each other."

"Of course I know Juvia!" Natsu cheered, as he smiled at the blue-haired girl; who was still hugging him tightly. "I met her three years ago, while on a mission with Erza."

"Wait, you've met her before?" Gray questioned, quirking an eyebrow at the pink-haired dragon slayer.

"Yes." Juvia finally spoke, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Juvia has met Natsu before. He was the first person to bring sunlight into Juvia's life."

"Sunlight?" Gray parroted in a confused tone, scratching the side of his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Juvia's life has always been filled with an endless rain shower." Juvia explained, as she tightly gripped the front of Natsu's vest. Tears threatened to fall from the water mage's eyes as she recalled her previously lonely life. "No one wanted to be around Juvia, they all thought Juvia was too depressing." Juvia suddenly released Natsu's vest from her grasp, and smiled warmly up at the dragon slayer. "But Natsu was the first person who wanted to be around Juvia. He didn't find Juvia's rain depressing like everyone else. Because he was so kind, he managed to clear the rain that had surrounded Juvia's heart for so long."

"Oi, flame brain." Gray said, getting the dual dragon slayer's attention. "Care to explain how you met this girl, because what she's saying has gotten me pretty curious."

"Well like I said, I met Juvia while on a mission with Erza three years ago..."

* * *

(X781; Small Village Ten Miles North of Fairy Tail)

"Will this rain ever let up?" Erza asked, as she peered out the window of the room they had rented for the night. "It's been pouring like this for hours, and it's really starting to bum me out." Erza released a light sigh, and plopped down on the bed next to the window. "We could have been home by now, but _you_ insisted on us walking back, instead of taking the train."

"Hey, it's not my fault that it started raining like this." Natsu said, gesturing to the rain outside the window. "Besides, you promised me we didn't have to take a damn train during this mission, and I'm gonna hold you to that."

"Tch, you're so stubborn sometimes." Erza groaned out, as she idly petted Happy; who was asleep on the bed next to her. "It's too bad Lisanna couldn't come with us. She was always good at coming up with things to keep us occupied." A slight blush spread across Erza's face, as she continued to stare out the window. _"This is the first time Natsu and I have had to share a room since we both got our own places. I mean we don't have to share a bed like we used to, but it still feels weird sharing a room again; but not in a bad way. I don't know why, but my face keeps heating up and I get this weird fluttering feeling in my stomach whenever I think about us sharing a bed again." _

"Yeah, but she went on a mission with Mirajane and Elfman." Natsu said, snapping Erza out of her thoughts. The dual dragon slayer shivered slightly at the mention of Mirajane's name. "Anyways, I don't know what you're complaining about. I love the rain."

"Are you serious?" Erza asked, her voice filled with skepticism.

"Yep! Since I use fire and lightning dragon slayer magic, the rain feels so cool and refreshing against my naturally warmed skin, and it also feels kinda tingly." Natsu explained with a grin, as he hopped off the bed and made his way towards the door.

"Where are you going, Natsu?" Erza asked, quickly sitting up in her bed.

"I'm going for a quick walk." Natsu replied, as he opened the door.

"It's pouring rain out there, Natsu." Erza reasoned, trying to persuade the dragon slayer from leaving. "You'll catch a cold for sure."

"I don't catch colds Erza." Natsu shot back with a toothy grin. "Don't worry Erza, I won't be gone too long." With a quick wave, Natsu walked out of the room. "See you in a bit.

"That boy." Erza sighed, before she buried her head in a pillow. _"Why does he make my heart beat so fast?"_

* * *

"Ah, that feels nice." Natsu said with a large smile on his face, as he let the cool ran hit his hot skin. The dragon slayer placed his hands in his pockets, while he continued to walk through the small village's streets. All around Natsu, people rushed past him; crowding under umbrellas to escape the pouring rain.

"Come on honey, let's get out of this damned rain." A man said, holding his wife close under the umbrella he was holding.

"This depressing rain had to go and ruin our picnic!" The woman shouted with scowl on her face, as she huddled closer to her husband.

_"Tch, it's just a little rain." _Natsu thought, just as the rain started to pour down even harder. _"Man it's really coming down now. Maybe I should start heading back to the room." _However, before could leave his trained ears picked up a distinct sound amongst the falling rain. _"Is...is someone crying?" _Natsu closed his eyes, and concentrated on distinguishing the sound from everything else he was hearing. After a few moments Natsu pinpointed the noise, and realized that it was definitely a crying girl. _"It...She sounds just like..." _Natsu's mind flashed back to when he used to comfort Erza when she would cry in her sleep. _"I have to help her!" _The dragon slayer immidiately took off running towards where he heard the crying coming from. It didn't take Natsu long to track the source of the sound down. The crying was coming from underneath a small bridge located in the village's park. Peeking underneath the bridge, Natsu spotted a blue-haired girl who appeared to be about his age. She had a blue cossack hat on her head, and a small hand stitched doll sat on the ground next to her. The girl's face was currently buried in her knees, as she continued to sob. Natsu immidiately felt an invisible force calling out for him to comfort the girl; to see her smile. He had to brighten her day up some how. So he quietly made his way over, and sat down next to the girl; however he sat outside the bridge so that he was still sitting in the rain. Taking a deep breath, Natsu finally spoke to the girl. "H-Hello."

"Huh?" The girl, who had finally noticed someone had sat down next to her, muttered as she looked up. Natsu's heart broke when he saw the sadness in the girl's ocean blue eyes. "W-Who are you?"

"I'm Natsu Dragneel." The dragon slayer introduced himself, flashing the girl a toothy grin. "What's your name?"

"Why are you even here?" The girl asked in a depressed tone, as she buried her face back into her knees. "Shouldn't you be running inside to get away from this depressing rain?"

"Well I heard someone crying, so I came to check things out." Natsu replied, scouting a little closer to the girl. "Besides, I love the rain!"

"Y-You like Juvia's rain?" The girl asked, as she lifted her head slightly.

"So your name's Juvia? That's a pretty name." Natsu said, causing the blue-haired girl to lightly blush. "Why are you crying anyways, Juvia?"

"Everyone thinks Juvia and her rain is depressing. So no one wants to be around Juvia, or be friends with her." Juvia explained, as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "But Juvia can't help the rain that surrounds her, Juvia can't stop it. Juvia just wants the rain to stop, so people will want to be her friend."

"I'll be your friend!" Natsu exclaimed with a large smile, causing Juvia's head to snap up.

"You will?" Juvia hesitantly asked, not fully believing what the pink-haired boy was saying.

"Of course! Everyone needs friends!" Natsu cheered, moving even closer to Juvia. The blue-haired girl blushed even harder when Natsu gently gripped her hand. "You said you want the rain to go away, right?"

"Yes." Juvia replied, as a few more tears escaped her eyes. "Juvia's life has been filled with rain for so long. Juvia just wants to see the sunshine and clear blue sky."

"Well I might have a way to stop the rain." Natsu said, causing Juvia's eyes to widen. "My dad Igneel taught me a song that supposed to make the rain go away. You just keep singing, and eventually the rain will stop."

"That...that will work?" Juvia asked somewhat skeptically, as Natsu gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I worked whenever Igneel and I did it, so I don't know why it won't work now." Natsu replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll go first, then you can jump in the second time. You ready?" Seeing Juvia nod, Natsu took a deep breath. _**"Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day. Little Johnny wants to play. In the meadow by the hay. Rain, rain, go away. Never show your face again. Rain, rain, pour down. But not a drop on our town." **_Finishing the song, Natsu smiled at Juvia. "Do you think you can join in this time?"

"Juvia will try." Juvia said, as she laid her head against Natsu's shoulder.

"Alright let's go again, both of us this time." Natsu said, leaning his head against Juvia's.

_**"Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day. Little Johnny wants to play. In the meadow by the hay. Rain, rain, go away. Never show your face again. Rain, rain, pour down. But not a drop on our town."**_

Both Natsu and Juvia repeated the short song several times in a row. Juvia knew a silly little song wouldn't stop her rain, but she didn't really care. She just enjoyed being in the presence of another person. Juvia was content just sitting next to the dragon slayer, and feeling his warmth envelope her. It had been so long since Juvia had spoken to another person; even longer since she had one call her a friend. She would often stitch dolls to keep her company, just so she had someone to talk to. But as Juvia sat next to Natsu, repeating the children's song over and over, a miracle seemed to happen. After the tenth time singing the song, Juvia closed her eyes and a smile spread across her face. She didn't care if the rain stopped anymore. Juvia was simply happy that she had found a friend. Someone who didn't care about the rain that surrounded her, and truly wanted to be with her. On the eleventh time the silly rhyme was sung, a few tears of happiness slipped from Juvia's eyes. Then all of sudden Juvia noticed something, she couldn't hear the soft pitter patter of the rain falling anymore. Cracking an eye open, Juvia was shocked to see that the rain had indeed appeared to stop.

"N-Natsu!" Juvia exclaimed, as she shot to her feet. The girl ran out from under the bridge, and was bathed in bright sunlight. "It worked! It really worked!"

"I told you it would." Natsu said with a toothy grin, standing back back up onto his feet. The dragon slayer walked up to Juvia, who was gazing up at the clear sky above.

"It's so beautiful." Juvia said, as she stared in awe at the stunning blue sky. "Juvia has never seen a sky so perfect and clear."

"Yeah it sure is pretty." Natsu said, staring up at the sky as well. When Natsu cast a glance over at Juvia, he was surprised to see that tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Juvia, why are you crying?"

"Huh?" Juvia said, as she touched a hand to her cheek. She was surprised to feel that she was crying. "It must be because Juvia is so happy."

"Crying because you're happy? That's pretty weird." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head. The dragon slayer was surprised when he felt someone embrace him. Looking down, Natsu saw Juvia hugging him tightly.

"Thank you." Juvia whispered, as she buried her head into Natsu's vest.

"There's no need to thank me." Natsu said, patting Juvia on the back. "It's what friends do."

"You really meant what you said? You'll be Juvia's friend?" Juvia hesitantly asked, as she locked eyes with Natsu.

"Of course!" Natsu exclaimed with a wide grin. "Now _R__ain, rain go away girl_ why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself."

"Sure thing, _Sunshine Boy_." Juvia said, as a bright smile spread across her face.

* * *

(Back in the Present)

"I managed to convince Erza to stay in the village a few more days, so that I could spend time with Juvia." Natsu explained, as he gazed down at the blue-haired girl. "But on the day we were supposed to head back to Fairy Tail, you just vanished Juvia. I couldn't find you anywhere."

"When Juvia found out you were leaving, Juvia decided that it was best to just leave." Juvia said, avoiding Natsu's gaze. "Juvia didn't want to go through the pain of saying goodbye. So Juvia left without saying anything, and was eventually recruited by Phantom Lord. But without Natsu, Juvia's heart was once again surrounded by rain."

"You could have come with us." Natsu said, placing a hand on top of Juvia's. "You can still come with us. Leave this guild, and join Fairy Tail. You may have been our enemy at one point, but we'll welcome you in with open arms."

"Oi Natsu, slow down for a second." Gray said, as he placed his hands in his pockets. "You may know this girl, but she is a member of the Elemental Four. We can't trust her so easily."

"Shut your damn mouth Gray." Natsu growled, surprising the ice mage. The dragon slayer wasn't surprised when he felt a familiar force compelling him to defend Juvia. He had felt it when he first met the girl, and it was even stronger now. "I trust Juvia, and I know she won't try anything." Gray and Natsu immidiately entered into an intense stare down. Both mages daring the other to back down. Gray was shocked at how intense the dragon slayer's eyes were, and decided it was best not to push him any further.

"Tch, fine you win. If you say we can trust her, then I guess there's no budging your stubborn ass." Gray said, as he broke eye contact with Natsu. "But I'm still gonna keep an eye on her."

"Fine by me." Natsu said, before returning his attention back to Juvia. "So what do you say? Want ditch this shitty guild, and join the badasses in Fairy Tail?"

"Juvia...Juvia doesn't..." Juvia began to stutter and stammer as tried to make up her mind. The water mage's face started to burn bright red, and after a few more moments she passed out.

"Juvia!" Natsu shouted, scared by the girl suddenly falling unconscious.

"She's fine flame brain." Gray said, walking up to the dragon slayer. "She just passed out. I knocked her around pretty good in our fight. Add the excitement of seeing you after so long, it must have wore her out."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Natsu said, as he gently laid Juvia down on the ground.

"Gray! Natsu!" A voice exclaimed from behind the duo. Both Fairy Tail mages turned around to see Mirajane and Elfman running towards them.

"Elfman? And...Mira-chan? What's she doing here?" Gray asked, scratching the side of his head.

"Did you guys take out another member of the Elemental Four?" Elfman asked, as he glanced down at Juvia.

"Yes, and it turns out that Natsu knows her." Gray said, releasing a light sigh.

"You know this girl Natsu?" Mirajane asked, as she spotted the small smile that was spread across Juvia's face. _"Hmm, looks like we may have another girl on our hands already." _

"Yeah, I met her a few years back. But there's no time to get into that now." Natsu said, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders.

"There's only one Elemental Four mage left, right? Mirajane asked, earning a nod from Natsu.

"Sure is, and it's the bastard that hurt ji-chan." Natsu growled, as he gazed farther up the mechanical giant. "You guys watch after Juvia, I'm going to take this asshole out." Encasing his legs in flames, Natsu rocketed towards the hole he had been blown out of earlier; with Happy following closely behind him.

_"Natsu, please be careful." _Mirajane thought, as she clutched a hand over her heart.

* * *

(Near the Top of Phantom Lord's Mechanical Giant)

"RAGHHHHH!" Natsu roared, bursting back in through the hole he had fallen through. The dragon slayer's attack was so sudden that it caught Aria completely off guard. "**Lightning Dragon Iron Fist!**" An electrified punch caught Aria in the chin, and sent the last Elemental Four member tumbling backwards. "That's for making me fall down a building you fucking bastard!"

"I'm quite impressed that you survived that fall." Aria said, as he wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth. "You're a fascinating specimen."

"Fuck you!" Natsu screamed, charging towards Aria with his entire body encased in lightning.

"Have't you learned anything you fool? You cannot deflect all of my **airspace **magic." Aria taunted, as he thrust his arms forward. Suddenly Natsu was forced to the ground, as an invisible barrage of wind slammed into him. "Your lightning may be able to cut through my **airspace** magic. But I can make so much of it that you can't possible deflect it all, and its invisible making it impossible for you to predict where it's going to hit."

_"Natsu had the upper hand at first. But now that he know's Natsu's magic can cut through his own he's really laying into Natsu now." _Happy thought, watching the fight from behind a pillar.

"You're still getting up Salamander?" Aria asked, as Natsu struggled onto his feet.

"I can't let a piece of shit like you beat me..." Natsu said, releasing a shake breath. "I'm a mage of Fairy Tail after all..." The dragon slayer grinned wickedly, and spit some blood from his mouth. "Your attacks aren't even hurting me, they're just pissing me off!"

"Is that so? Then let's see how you like this." Aria said, as he extended one of his hands. "**Airspace Zetsu**." Suddenly the air surrounding Natsu began to explode. The dragon slayer quickly cloaked his body in lightning, but all it seemed to do was cushion the countless blows. Natsu was forced down onto one knee, as the explosions continued. "There will always be someone stronger than you, my young dragon."

"Shut up!" Natsu roared, his cheeks bulging with electricity. "**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**" A stream of powerful lightning flew towards Aria. However, Aria simply vanished into thin air. "Where the hell did he go?!" Natsu began to frantically sniff the air, as he tried to pinpoint Aria's location.

"It's all over for you now Salamander." Aria's disembodied voice echoed out from all around Natsu. "You're about to experience the same pain as your poor master." Natsu clenched his teeth in anger at the mention of Makarov being hurt. The dragon slayer felt a rush of wind blow behind him "**Airspace Zetsu**...you shall be reduced to pure nothingness."

"That's what you think." Natsu said, before he quickly spun around to face Aria. "**Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu's lightning covered fist launched Aria into the air. "Now Erza!" Right as the words left Natsu's mouth, Aria's attack struck; slamming the dragon slayer into the ground. Before Aria could hit the ground, a boot smashed into his face. The last member of the Elemental Four crashed into the ground, just as an armored figure landed in front of Natsu. "Heh, I knew you'd come."

"Erza!" Happy cheered, as the scarlet-haired knight stood protectively in front of Natsu.

"I couldn't let you fight alone again, Natsu." Erza said, glaring fiercely at Aria.

"Are you sure you should be fighting with your wounds?" Natsu asked, causing a small smirk to spread across Erza's face.

"You're more injured than me. Sure I'm still a little worn out from earlier, but I can fight." Erza said, as her eyes filled with determination. The scarlet-haired knight once again turned to face Aria. The air around Titania seemed to chill, as she gaze the enemy mage an icy glare. "So this is the guy who hurt master..."

"How very sad..." Aria said, standing back onto his feet. "The necks of both the Salamander and Titania have been handed to me...It'll be such a shame to snap them."

"The one who dared to touch our master..." Erza said, her voice slowly filling with anger. "Was this man, right?"

"Erza..." Natsu breathed out, as he watched Erza tightly clench her fists.

"Hahaha..." Aria laughed, beginning to undo the bandages covering his eyes. "If I'm going to fight against the mighty Erza..." Aria smiled as he tossed away the bandages that had covered his eyes. "Even I shall have to take this fight seriously."

* * *

(Several Floors Bellow)

"His eyes?!" Gray exclaimed, as he sprinted down a hall with Mirajane and Elfman.

"Yes...Aria has always kept his eyes closed." Mirajane explained, quickly rounding a corner. "Apparently keeping them closed is the only way he can keep his immense power under control."

"What the hell?!" Elfman exclaimed, as his eyes widened in shock.

"Anyways, if we run into Aria, we have to defeat him before he opens his eyes." Mirajane said, as she clenched her teeth. "If he does, we may lose any hope of winning this fight." Hearing several explosions ring out above them, Mirajane gazed up at the ceiling. _"Natsu, you can do this, I believe in you." _

* * *

(Back With Erza and Natsu)

"Come at me Titania." Aria taunted with a twisted smile, revealing his glowing eyes. "I have cast the airspace of death, **Zero**.This airspace consumes all life." Erza could hear Natsu struggling to breath behind her. The scarlet-haired knight was clenching her fists so tightly that she felt her nails pierce the skin of her palms.

"Magic that consumes life?" Erza asked in a shaky voice, her scarlet locks hiding the fury in her eyes. "Why do you bastards find it so easy to steal people's lives?!

"Enough of this, let's have some fun now." Aria said with a demented grin on his face. A sword quickly materialized in Erza's hand, and she charged towards Aria. "I wonder how long you'll survive in this airspace?"

"Erza?!" Natsu shouted in worried tone, as he watched Erza race towards Aria. However, Natsu's eyes slowly widened when he saw Erza begin to slash through the air surrounding her. "No way."

"It can't be!" Aria exclaimed, taking a hesitant step back. "She's cutting right through my airspace." Aria's eyes widened when Erza's entire body began to glow.

"**Re-equip! Heaven's Wheel Armor!**" Erza roared, slashing through Aria with a sword in both hands. "**Blumenblatt!**" Suddenly a barrage of swords materialized behind Erza and struck Aria. Natsu and Happy both watched in shock as Aria fell to the ground, defeated. "Master could never have been defeated by a disgrace like you. That farce will never appear in your story."

Outside, in behind Fairy Tail's guild hall. Most of the defending Fairy Tail mages scattered for cover, as they prepared for **Abyss Break **to activate. Every mage dove behind any piece of cover they could find.

"Everybody get down!" Max yelled, as he rushed behind a pile of rubble.

"This isn't something we can survive by ducking our heads!" Laki shouted, forming a wooden barrier to hide behind.

"Wait!" Cana exclaimed, when she saw the giant's arms begin to break. The Fairy Tail mages watched in awe as large portions of the mechanical giant began to fall apart. Then loud cheers broke out when the giant magical circle looming over their heads disappeared. Cana quickly wiped away a tear that had formed in her eye. "Natsu, you guys really pulled it off."

Back inside the Phantom Lord guild hall, Natsu slowly rose to his feet. Within in seconds, he was rushing towards Erza. "HEY!" The scarlet-haired knight collapsed right into the dragon slayer's arms. "Erza!? Come on Erza, say something!"

* * *

(Giant's Control Room)

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Jose roared, as he slammed his down onto the desk in front of him. "Those pieces of Fairy trash take down all of the Elemental Four?!" The Phantom Lord mages behind Jose all cowered in fear. "Where is Gajeel?!"

"W-Well...the truth is...we have no clue..."

"I'm right here, master." A gruff voice said from behind Jose. Everyone turned to see Gajeel walking into the room, carrying what appeared to be an unconscious blonde girl. The girl was battered and covered in numerous cuts and bruises. "The Elemental Four were wiped out?" A smirk spread across Gajeel's face. "Well if they were beaten by trash, then I guess that makes them trash too, geehee...I guess you should have just sent me out there in the first place." Gajeel then roughly tossed the blonde girl onto the ground. "Here, I brought you a present master."

"Lucy? But how?" Jose asked, shocked to see his target had been captured by the iron dragon slayer.

"Don't underestimate the nose of a dragon slayer." Gajeel said, as he tapped his nose.

"But Gajeel-san...is she even alive?" A Phantom mages asked, gazing down at the unconscious girl.

"Hmm..." Gajeel hummed, as he rubbed his chin. Without warning, Gajeel violently kicked Lucy in the stomach. The blonde girl went tumbling across the floor; sputtering and coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Several floors below Gajeel, Natsu suddenly felt an aching pain in his chest. The dragon slayer took a shaky breath, as he clutched a hand over his rapidly beating heart. _"Why do I feel like Lucy is in trouble?" _

"Oi, Gajeel! Stop that man!"

"You might actually kill her!"

"Geehee, looks like she's alive to me." Gajeel said, sneering down at Lucy. "Though that fatass that was with her might be dead."

"As expected of the strongest man in my guild." Jose said with a devious smirk. "Nice job, Gajeel-san."

* * *

(Fairy Tail's Secret Hideout)

"Reedus!" Loke exclaimed, as he burst into Fairy Tail's hideout. Loke's eyes widened when he saw a battered and beaten Reedus lying on the ground. "Oi! Reedus! Pull yourself together! Where's Lucy?! What happened here?!"

"Sorry...I...couldn't..." Reedus struggled to say, tears flowing down his cheeks. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

"She was taken?" Loke breathed out, before he clenched his teeth. _"I had a feeling something like this would happen. But...I was too afraid to come and help...Damn it! I'm the worst!" _Loke's eyes suddenly widened when he remembered something, causing a chill to run down his spine. _"I feel sorry for any person Natsu runs into when he finds out they've taken Lucy again." _

* * *

(Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"All of you Fairy Tail members out there." Jose's voice echoed out across the area. "We have succeeded in capturing Lucy."

"No! They found our secret hiding spot!" Mirajane exclaimed, as she began to panic slightly.

"They captured Luce again?" Natsu said angrily, beginning to grit his teeth.

"Our first objective has been completed." Jose said with a smirk, as he dragged Lucy over by her hair.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Lucy's screamed pierced through the air, causing everyone's hearts to drop.

"I'm sure you all heard this bitch's screams." Jose said, roughly throwing Lucy onto the ground. "But we have one more remaining objective." The mages defending Fairy Tail all gasped when Jose's shadow soldiers began to morph. Without warning the new shadow soldiers began to cut through the Fairy Tail mages. "All we have to do now is slaughter all of you disgusting fairies."

"What the hell is up with these guys?!"

"They suddenly became a hell of a lot stronger!"

Cana was caught off guard by the sudden commotion, and was hit by one of shadow soldiers. Quickly recovering, Cana destroyed the ghost with a dozen exploding tarot cards. "Don't give up! We have to defend the guild at all costs! Fight till your last breath!"

"Keep an eye on Lucy for me." Jose told Gajeel, as he turned to leave the room. "A few worms seem to be running around our guild. I shall have to let them know that they will be seeing no more miracles. I will kill them myself."

* * *

(With Natsu and Erza)

Hearing Lucy scream like that caused something to snap inside of Natsu. The dragon slayer's heart was beating so fast, that he felt it would burst out of his chest at any moment. Natsu's pupils completely dilated, and he began to shake in almost uncontrollable rage. These bastards had dared to lay a finger on his girl. Taking her in the first place was bad enough. But now they had hurt her, and Natsu planned to make them pay blood for blood. He would shred through them and make them wish they had never been born.

_"They've hurt your mate. You must make them PAY!" _

_"You must dig deep inside yourself, and drag out your power! Then you must use that power to SLAUGHTER THEM!" _

"Natsu?" Erza's weak voice snapped Natsu out of his stupor. The scarlet-haired knight raised her hand and gently cupped Natsu's cheek. "Release...your power...there is...so much...untapped power within you...believe in yourself, like I believe in you...call it forth...and awaken it."

_"Even your other mate sees the power residing within you!"_

_"Listen to her and call upon it!" _

"The time is right..." Erza said, as her hand fell from Natsu's face. "Lucy...the guild...you must protect them..." Erza tightly gripped the front of Natsu's vest and locked eyes with him. "NOW GO NATSU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WILL SURPASS ME!"

_"She's right." _Natsu thought, gently laying Erza down against a pillar. Another piercing scream from Lucy suddenly rang out from above. _"For Lucy...For Erza...For Lisanna...For Fairy Tail...I will drag out every ounce of power I have in me!" _Natsu dug deep inside himself, as he felt his anger reach a level it had never reached before. The temperature in the room suddenly spiked, and an enormous amount of magic began to gather around Natsu. Erza felt as if her armor would start to melt, as she began to sweat profusely. The scarlet-haired knight felt all her limbs go weak, when Natsu's incredible magical energy enveloped her.

_"DRAG IT OUT!"_

_"UNLEASH YOUR POWER!" _

_"DESTROY THOSE WHO HURT YOUR MATE!" _

"RAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!" Natsu roared, feeling an invisible barrier burst; allowing new more powerful magical energy to flow through his body. Then to Erza and Happy's shock, brilliant blue flames exploded of the dragon slayer. The intense flames were so hot that they scorched the walls on the other side of the room. The bright blue flames changed and morphed around Natsu, until they took the form of a giant dragon.

_"What are those flames?" _Erza thought, as she had to shield her faces from the intense fire. _"They're so hot, I've never seen or felt anything like them before." _Without warning, Natsu shot forward down the hall; creating a large shockwave as he rocketed forward. The dragon slayer was moving so fast that Happy had a hard time keeping up with him. Brilliant blue flames encased Natsu's entire body, as he raced through the halls; completely melting everything they touched.

_"I'm going to __destroy them all!" _Natsu thought, sprinting towards where he knew Lucy and _Gajeel _would be. _"I'll make him pay, **for everything!**"_

* * *

**And done! I decided that this was a good stopping point, so no complaining. I got the idea for Natsu's blue flames from when Natsu fought Erigor, and Happy commented on how Natsu's emotions affected his flames. So I figured the madder Natsu gets, the hotter and more intense his flames and lightning would be. And since blue is the color of the hottest flames visible to the naked eyes, I decided on that color for his new ****flames. Natsu's lightning is also affected by this, so expect some new colored lightning. I only have one other planned color change for Natsu's flames and lightning, but that won't be happening until the GMG arc (If any of you can guess why his flames will change, and what color they'll be I'll be impressed). Next chapter will have Jose attacking Erza, Gray, Mira, and Elfman and we'll get to the long awaited Gajeel vs. Natsu fight, so look forward to that. Like I said, I should have the next chapter out fairly soon. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW(We have over 900 followers, so we should be able to get over 30 reviews per chapter. Step it up guys!) and PM me any ideas you guys have for any of my stories.**

**P.S. ****I finished both Sword Art Online season one and two recently, and I must say that I'm now in love with that series. First off it's an absolutely gorgeous anime, fantastic work A-1 studios! The voice acting is phenomenal, but I felt the music was kinda meh. The characters were all enjoyable and there were few I hated, unless they were complete scumbags *Cough* Kyouji *Cough* The story for the most part was great, however the second half of season one was nowhere near as good as the first and the middle of season two kinda dull; but it picked back up near the end. Plus I absolutely love Kirito and Asuna's love story! They're absolutely perfect together, and I fight anyone who says otherwise; just kidding. If you want to seem my favorite pairings for Sword Art Online just check to my profile, but my definite favorites are Kirito x Asuna and Kirito x Shino. I'm so hyped for season 3, which is set to premiere this summer, and then there is a Sword Art Online movie that is supposed to come out before then. So I'm super psyched for both of those. If I had to give Sword Art Online a rating, as a whole, I'd give an 8.5 out of 10. I highly recommend you all check it out if you haven't. I might even consider writing a fic for this series in the future.**

**I also finished Gurren Lagann as well, which I absolutely loved. For being over nine years old, the anime still looks great in my opinion. The characters were all ****likable, and were all well voice acted. The story was great and completely crazy at the same time. The action was totally ridiculous in a great way. Although I was a little disappointed nothing ever happened between Simon and Yoko, I go more in depth on that in my profile so if you want to see more about that check out my profile. But overall I loved this anime, and if I had to give it a rating I'd probably give it a 9 out of 10. This anime is definitely a must watch, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I might write a Simon x Yoko oneshot at some point.**

**So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	19. Chapter 19 Natsu vs Gajeel

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. Well it seems you all liked the last chapter, I'm so glad it turned out well. This chapter will have the Natsu's fight with Gajeel, which I know most of you are looking forward to, and Jose's attack on the other Fairy Tail mages. I know a lot of you have been looking forward to this chapter, so I won't keep you waiting. Let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They are all in Hiro Mashima's capable hands. **

* * *

(With Erza)

_"What were those flames? Where did all that power suddenly come from?" _Erza thought, as she stared down at her trembling hands. _"I'm still shaking from their raw power. I've never felt something so hot or intense before...And I've never seen Natsu angry before...it...it looked like he was ready to kill somebody...Was it because they hurt Lucy? Does he...does he lo-" _

"ERZA?!" Her name suddenly being called, snapped Erza out of her thoughts. She turned her head to see Mirajane, Gray, Elfman running towards her. She quirked an eyebrow when she saw a blue-haired girl hung over Elfman's shoulder.

"What are you doing here?!" Gray exclaimed, as Elfman laid the blue-haired girl gently onto the ground.

"Who's she?" Erza asked, casting a glance over at the unconscious girl.

"She's a member of the Elemental Four. Turns out Natsu knows her." Elfman explained, as he rubbed the back of his head. "And he asked us to watch over her."

"Erza..." Mirajane said, spotting Aria's unconscious form a few feet away. "Don't tell me actually fought in your condition."

"I told you I couldn't let Natsu fight alone again." Erza said, as a small smile graced her face. "You know I can be as stubborn as him sometimes."

"So, you beat Aria all by yourself?" Gray asked, causing Erza to shake her head.

"No, Natsu helped. I just came in and finished him off." Erza explained, before she let out a dry chuckle. "I must look pathetic. I didn't want you guys to see me in such a weak state. Looks like I've still got a long way to go, eh?"

"Erza?" Mirajane whispered, crouching next to the scarlet haired knight. "You felt that right? That incredible surge of magical power, and that wave of heat. It felt like Natsu's but so much more...intense."

"I didn't just feel it, I saw it Mira." Erza replied, as she released a shaky breath. "It was incredible Mira. Natsu...Natsu unleashed some type of blue flames."

"Blue fire?" Mirajane asked, quirking her head in confusion.

"Yeah...they were the hottest and most intense flames I've ever felt." Erza said, as she locked eyes with Mirajane. "He started using them after he heard Lucy being hurt. As soon as Natsu heard her scream, I could actually feel his anger, Mira. It was so thick in the air. Then out of nowhere his magical power just spiked, and those blue flames exploded outward and encased his whole body."

_"This must have happened because they were hurting one of his mates." _Mirajane thought, remembering the book she had read with Lucy. _"Dragons will destroy all those who hurt their mates." _Before Mirajane could think any further, a sudden chill ran through the room. A shiver ran down everyone's spines, as the temperature in the room suddenly dropped. An incredible magical power began to draw closer, causing all of the Fairy Tail mages' eyes to widen. "T-This feels nothing like Natsu or Master...it's...it's so cold...and evil."

"W-What the hell is this feeling?!" Gray exclaimed, as his whole body began to tremble in fear.

"A man shouldn't be shaking this much!" Elfman shouted, trying to stop the chills that were running up his spine.

"My, my..." A deep voice echoed out, followed by the sound of slow clapping. "You all put on such an magnificent show." The Fairy Tail mages all spun around to see Jose's looming towards them. "I never expected you fairies to be so entertaining." Jose smirked as he began to walk towards the Fairy Tail mages. "I was following a rather large source of magical energy, but it seems I just missed it. Instead I found the rest of you pathetic fairies."

"No." Mirajane breathed out, her voice laced with fear. _"He was searching for Natsu."_

"Jose." Erza growled, glaring at Phantom Lord's master. _"I won't let this bastard lay a finger on Natsu!" _

_"His magic...it's so evil." _Mirajane thought, as she cupped a hand over her mouth. The white-haired barmaid had to suppress the urge to gag. _"It's so vile that it's actually making physically ill." _

"I should really thank you for providing me with such a entertaining performance." Jose said, a menacing smile spreading across his face. "But...I think I've had my fill."

"Elfman." Gray said, as he stepped in front of Erza.

"Right." Elfman nodded, protectively standing in front of his older sister. "He may be stronger than us, but we have to protect Erza and nee-chan. It's what a man would do."

"I'm sorry, but there will be no more miracles for you fairies." Jose said, as a massive amount of magical power gathered around him.

"Get back!" Erza screamed, just as a wave of powerful dark magic smashed into Gray and Elfman. Both mages were blown across the room by the attack and knocked unconscious.

"Gray! Elfman!" Mirajane yelled, before she was blown back as well.

"You bastard!" Erza roared, as she shot forward. The scarlet-haired knight's body began to glow bright white, just as she was engulfed by a blast of Jose's **shade **magic. However, Jose quirked an eyebrow as he watched Erza begin to cut through his magic. "**Re-equip: Black Wing Armor!**" Erza ruthlessly slashed through Jose's magic, as she continued to charge towards him. Just when Erza was about to swipe at Jose, he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Suddenly, Erza's eyes shot open as Jose reappeared behind her. Phantom Lord's master grabbed her ankle, and hurled her across the room. Erza quickly adjusted herself and came to a skidding stop.

"You...you're the girl who stopped **Jupiter** head-on along with that pink-haired boy, using a **Unison Raid**." Jose said, scanning Erza up and down. The scarlet-haired knight was panting heavily, and looked to be on the brink of exhaustion. "How are you still standing after all this?!"

"My love for my nakama makes my heart stronger." Erza explained, as she fiercely glared at Jose. The scarlet-haired knight tightened the grip on her sword, when she thought of all of her comrades that Jose and his guild had hurt. An image of Natsu suddenly flashed through Erza's mind. "If I'm fighting for those I love, I could care less what happens to my body. I will protect my nakama and loved ones at all costs."

"The strength of your heart is so admirable..." Jose said, a twisted smile spreading across his face. "Yes, I think I will enjoy killing you. But not before I make you watch each and every one of your friends die."

* * *

(Mechanical Giant's Control Room)

Lucy quietly whimpered as she hung from the wall by her arm, with iron bindings holding her in place; much like how Levy, Jet, and Droy had been strung up in Magnolia's southern park. Several kunai were impaled in the wall surrounding Lucy, and she winced as another one impacted into the wall just two inches from her head.

"Oh, damn it!" Gajeel cursed with a evil smirk on his face. "My aim must be getting rusty, because I was actually aiming for the blonde bitch this time."

"Gajeel...you really shouldn't be doing that..." A Phantom Lord mage stuttered out, as Gajeel twirled another kunai between his fingers. "We can't kill her...remember?"

"Eh? But I'm bored out of my fucking mind." Gajeel said, taking aim at Lucy again. "Now...where should I aim for next...ah, I've got it...I'll pop those massive tits you've got...there big targets so I can't miss."

"J-Just stop it man!" Before the Phantom Lord mage could say anymore, Gajeel spun around and hit him with a powerful headbutt. The mage was instantly sent crashing into the floor.

"Shut the fuck up." Gajeel growled, before he spit on the unconscious mage. "I don't give a flying fuck who this bitch is. From where I'm standing she's just another one of those fairies, a piece of trash. Who's gonna give a shit if I kill her?"

"I-If she died...master would get really angry..."

"Yeah! Angry at you!"

"Tch, who cares...I'll just blame it on you guys." Gajeel said, causing the Phantom Lord mages to back away in fear. "Man, this really sucks...even those fairy idiots are throwing away their lives just cause this bitch has some cash."

"Heh." A dry chuckle caused Gajeel to turn back to Lucy. He was surprised to see that the blonde had a defiant smile on her face.

"You say something girly?" Gajeel asked, his fierce red eyes glaring at Lucy.

"You guys really are complete dumbasses, aren't you?" Lucy said, causing Gajeel to quirk an eyebrow. "I feel so sorry for you fools, it might actually make me start crying."

"Is that right?" Gajeel asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "Huh, if you're able to bluff in a situation like this, maybe you're worth something after all."

"You assholes aren't even a little scared, are you?" Lucy asked with a smug smirk on her face. However, she winced as another kunai suddenly impaled in the wall on the other side of her head.

"What was that, missy? I don't think I heard you." Gajeel taunted, cupping a hand over his ear.

"You're the ones who'd be in trouble if I died." Lucy said with a smile, as she felt a familiar magical power rapidly approaching. But this time it was much stronger and more intense than she ever remembered. "There's no way Fairy Tail, or Natsu, would ever forgive you! That's the kind of guild they are!"

"H-Hey Gajeel, it's getting really hot in here!"

"Yeah, it feels like the temperature just jumped forty degree!"

"Shit! Now the rooms starting to shake!"

"What the hell is happening!?"

"You'd all end up spending the rest of your lives cowering in fear from the scariest guild in the world; as they hunted you down to the ends of the earth." Lucy said, as she raised her head to lock eyes with Gajeel. "Natsu would personally find you, and tear you apart limb from limb."

"Interesting little theory you've got there." Gajeel said, as another iron kunai formed in his hand.

"Gajeel! I'm really starting to freak out here!"

"Fuck! My boots are starting to fucking melt!"

"Why's it getting so hot in here! I feel like I'm being cooked alive!"

"Maybe, I should put your little theory to the test?" Gajeel asked, cocking his arm back. The iron dragon slayer took aim at Lucy's head, and threw the kunai.

"Gajeel!"

"That's actually going to hit her!"

Seconds before the kunai could actually hit Lucy, the room began to shake violently. Then in a brilliant flash of blue fire, the floor to the room exploded. From the hole burst Natsu Dragneel, with Gajeel's kunai in his hand. The kunai instantly melted in Natsu's hands. The dual dragon slayer crashed into the ground; sending out a shockwave of blue fire. The scorching flames consumed all of the nearby Phantom Lord mages; sending them rolling onto the floor as they tried to extinguish the flames.

"I knew it..." Gajeel said, as he smirked at Natsu. "I knew I recognized your scent."

"Natsu..." Lucy said, tears of joy falling from her eyes. "I knew you'd come and save me." The pink-haired dragon slayer glanced over at Lucy, and snarled when he saw that she was strung up like Levy. His flames became even more intense when he spotted the kunai that were in the wall around Lucy.

"Don't worry Luce." Natsu said, his voice eerily calm and collected. "I'll make these bastards pay, **for everything they've done**. No one hurts my girl and gets away with it."

_"Y-Your girl!?" _Lucy thought, her eyes shooting open in shock. The blonde could feel a bright blush spreading across her face, despite the situation she was in.

"So you've fina-" Gajeel was cut off when Natsu's flaming fist smashed into his face. The iron dragon slayer was sent flying across the room by Natsu's new incredible power.

"**Fire Dragon's Purifying Iron Fist!**" Natsu roared, as bright blue flames licked his fist. The dual dragon slayer stalked towards Gajeel with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "No more talking, Gajeel...just fighting." Scorching blue flames danced off Natsu's form; incinerating everything they touched. _"I better finish him off quick, because this is seriously draining my magic." _

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Happy asked, beginning to pry to iron bindings Lucy in place.

"Happy!" Lucy exclaimed, relieved to see the blue cat freeing her.

"Out of my way." Natsu said, as he shoved a Phantom Lord mage out of his path. The enemy mage howled in pain, Natsu's flames instantly searing his flesh with a second degree burn. The dragon slayer glared at all the other Phantom mages around him. "My fight is with Gajeel...if you all stay out of this you won't be harmed. But if you try to intervene, I'll take you down as well." Almost instantly the Phantom Lord mages retreated as far back as they could.

"Shit that hurt!" Gajeel exclaimed, touching a had to the burn mark on his face. The iron dragon slayer's skin was a lot tougher than his comrades'. That didn't stop him from receiving a stinging first degree burn on his face though. "I don't know where this power came from Salamander, but-"

"**Lighting Dragon's Static Claw!**" Natsu roared, as he kicked Gajeel in the stomach with an electrically charged foot. Instead of yellow, Natsu's lightning was now bright orange, and filled the entire room with static electricity. All the air immidiately left Gajeel's lungs, as he was sent crashing into a wall. Gajeel fell to the ground, but found that he could barely move. He could still feel Natsu's lightning coursing through his body; nearly paralyzing him completely. "I said no more talking."

_"It's not just his flames, his lightning is stronger as well." _Gajeel thought, struggling to move his limbs.

"I've never seen Natsu like this..." Lucy said, as she watched Natsu send Gajeel flying with a powerful stream of orange lightning.

"Me neither." Happy said, pulling out the last bolt that was holding Lucy's bindings. "Right now, Natsu's stronger than ever. He's doing to save you and protect the guild."

"I know he is." Lucy said with a smile, as she rubbed her sore wrists.

"Don't get so damn cocky!" Gajeel exclaimed, grabbing some iron debris off the ground, and shoving them into his mouth to rejuvenate his energy. Feeling the new energy coursing through him, Gajeel charged towards Natsu. "**Iron Dragon's Club!**" However, Gajeel's eyes widened when Natsu dodged his attack and caught it underneath his arm. Suddenly, Natsu's body was engulfed in orange lightning, which course through Gajeel's **Iron Club **into his body. The iron dragon slayer winced as the lightning surged into him. Natsu was surprised to see an animalistic grin spread across Gajeel's face. Without warning Gajeel launched a surprised attack. "**Iron Dragon's Sword!**" Gajeel transformed his other arm into a large jagged blade, and swung it at Natsu.

"I'm surprised you can still move. You're one tough bastard, I'll give you that. However..." Natsu said, as he stopped Gajeel's blade with his free hand. Gajeel was stunned to see that his attack was stopped so easily. "You're going to have to try a lot harder if you want to lay a finger on me." The hand stopping Gajeel's blade was suddenly engulfed in blue flames. Natsu's blue flames were so hot, that they began to melt the blade in his grasp. Gajeel roared in pain, and returned his arm to normal. The iron dragon slayer clutched his severely burned hand, which was already starting to blister. "I told you, I'd pay you back for everything you did. **And I meant everything**."

"You bastard. I'm going to kill you, then slaughter the rest of your guild mates!" Gajeel shouted, intensely glaring at Natsu. "It's time we put this to an end, Salamander!"

"Oh, I'm no where near done with you." Natsu said, as he cracked his knuckles. "I think after I beat your ass, I'll string you up like you did Levy and Luce. Put you on display to warn others not to fuck with Fairy Tail."

"You're going to wish we never met." Gajeel said, his entire body beginning to change. The iron dragon slayer's skin was being covered in metallic dragon scales. "**Iron Dragon's Scales!**" Gajeel shot forward, and tried to punch Natsu. But the pink-haired dragon slayer was prepared for this, and easily blocked Gajeel's attack with his arm. Natsu grunted as he was sent skidding back several feet.

"Hmm, seems you get a damage buff along with increased defense, I think you might even leave a bruise." Natsu said, as he inspected his arm. "But you're gonna have to do a lot more if you want to really hurt me."

"Shut up!" Gajeel roared, laughing forward and attempting to kick Natsu. The iron dragon slayer's kick was so powerful that it produced a gale. However, Natsu simply ducked underneath Gajeel's kick.

"**Fire Dragon's Purifying Claw!**" Natsu sprang off the ground, and smashed his blue flaming foot into Gajeel's chin. The iron dragon slayer was sent flying back; the iron scales on his chin starting to melt. Natsu winced when he landed back on the ground. _"Damn that actually really hurt. It was like punching a fucking wall." _The dual dragon slayer peered across the room, and saw that Gajeel was slowly getting back onto his feet; chewing on more iron scraps. _"Fuck! I'm starting to run out of magical energy here, but there's so much scrap lying around that he can keep replenishing his magic!" _Natsu's eyes widened when he saw Gajeel's cheeks begin to bulge.

"**Iron Dragon's**..."

_"Of fuck! Gotta act fast!" _

"**Fire Dragon's**..."

"They're both going to use a breath attack?!" Lucy exclaimed, before she dove behind nearby cover.

"Everyone down!"

"**Roar!**"

"**Purifying Roar!**"

Natsu launched a large stream of blue flames from his mouth, which clashed with the iron tornado that Gajeel fired. Both attacks briefly battled for dominance, before Natsu's fire won out. The blue flames pushed Gajeel's roar back, until they struck the iron dragon slayer. A blue fiery explosion rang out when Gajeel was hit. Natsu was starting to pant, as he tried to spot Gajeel through the smoke and debris. The pink-haired dragon slayer heard Gajeel before he saw him.

"Just as I thought." Gajeel's voice rang out through the smoke. When the smoke blew away, it revealed that Gajeel had indeed been hit. But he had sustained much less damage than before. "You're getting weaker, Salamander. What's the matter, running out of magical power?" Natsu continued to pant, as he glared at Gajeel. "Your breath attack may have done some damage to me, but it looks like your about ready to pass out. Is that new power a little too much for you to handle?"

"Natsu..." Lucy breathed out, fear starting to spread through her. _"He's right. Natsu does look really worn out. He must not have full control over his new powers yet." _

"That guy is no joke." Happy said, as he gazed at Natsu with worried eyes.

"I may be getting a little tired, but I still have enough energy to kick your scrap metal ass." Natsu taunted, a smirk spreading across his face. "My flames aren't just normal flames, you know. Dragon flames can incinerate anything, and I'll use them to melt you down." Blue flames exploded off Natsu, and cloaked his entire body. "if you don't start coming at me with everything you've got, I'm going to smash you to pieces, Iron Gajeel." Natsu rolled his shoulders, and leveled a harsh glare on Gajeel. "Well I think we know each other's strength by now. Playtime is over."

"W-Wha..." Lucy stuttered out, as she stared at Natsu with wide eyes. "He...he wasn't going all out!?"

"There isn't enough room in the sky for two dragon in this sky." Gajeel said, wiping some blood from the corner of his mouth. "I'll strike you down, Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

(Outside Fairy Tail)

Behind Fairy Tail, the defending mages were fighting a losing battle against Jose's ghost soldiers. Mage after mage fell before the shadow soldiers, as they pushed towards the guild hall. The guild began to crumble, when the shadow soldiers used battering rams to smash down the walls.

"Our guild...it's..."

Cana struggled to get back onto her feet, as she helplessly watched her home begin to crumble to the ground. "N-No, it can't end like this! Not our guild!" Tears began to form in Cana's eyes, and she let out a piercing scream. "Jose, you son of a bitch!"

"It's not gonna last!"

"Please stop!"

"It's already been reduced to rubble! Why are you still attacking it?!"

"Natsu, anybody, please save our home." Cana whispered, clenching her fists on the ground; tears streaking down her cheeks.

* * *

(Back with Natsu and Gajeel)

"**Lightning Dragon's Static Iron Fist!**"

"**Iron Dragon's Fist!**"

Both mages struck each other in the face, sending each other flying in the opposite direction. A large explosion rang out, which sent all the observing mages flying backwards as well.

"Heh, you're getting weaker and weaker, Natsu." Gajeel taunted, as he quickly got back onto his feet. "Before your lightning attacks would almost completely paralyze me. Now they're just tickling me."

"Fuck...you..." Natsu panted out, wiping sweat from his brow. "I've still got enough left in my tank to take you out."

"Well see about that." Gajeel said, before both mages charged towards each other again. Once the mages met, they unleashed a fury of attacks on each other. Natsu dodged one of Gajeel's punches, and reared back with a blue flaming fist.

"**Fire Dragon's Purifying Iron Fist!**" Natsu's punch connected with Gajeel's face, and sent the iron dragon slayer skidding back. Within seconds Natsu was on Gajeel again. "**Fire Dragon's Purifying Claw!**" However, Gajeel was able to dodge Natsu's attack due to his slowing movements. The dual dragon slayer was starting to become sluggish and sloppy with his attacks. Gajeel quickly countered with an iron coated elbow to Natsu's jaw. Quickly recovering, Natsu hit Gajeel with another flaming punch.

"They're incredible..." Lucy breathed out, watching the dragon slayers decimate each other.

"I can't believe this guy is going toe to toe with Gajeel now...he must be getting pretty tired..."

"I don't...believe it..."

"Fuck you Salamander!" Gajeel roared, grabbing Natsu's scarf, and hitting the pink-haired with a devastating headbutt. Natsu's vision went blurry momentarily from the iron scale enhanced headbutt.

_"This is going to fucking hurt!" _Natsu thought, as he cocked his own head back. "**Fire Dragon's Purifying Sword Horn!**" Natsu's flaming headbutt sent Gajeel tumbling back, and caused him to release his hold on Natsu's scarf. Gajeel steadied himself and ripped some iron paneling from the floor. The iron dragon slayer evilly smirked, as he took a large bit out of the metal.

"I'm getting real sick of watching you eat." Natsu said, glaring harshly at Gajeel.

"I'm all fired up now." Gajeel said, as he wiped the metal fragments from his mouth.

"Fuck you! That's my line!" Natsu roared, charging towards Gajeel. "**Lightning Dragon's Static Claw!**"

"Too slow." Gajeel said, as he sidestepped Natsu's attack. "**Iron Dragon's Club!**" Natsu gasped in pain when Gajeel's attack slammed into his stomach. The dual dragon slayer collapsed to his knees, and clutched his injured stomach. Natsu was breathing heavily as Gajeel stalked towards him. Without warning Gajeel kneed Natsu in the face; sending the dual dragon slayer tumbling backwards.

"Fire. Lighting. Do I have any celestial spirits that can use fire or lightning?" Lucy asked, frantically searching through the small pockets of her skirt. However, Lucy's eyes widened when she remembered that she had dropped most of her keys when she was first captured. "The only key I have one me, is the one I just got...Sagittarius." Lucy pulled out Sagittarius' key and stood onto her feet. "I don't have a contract with it yet, but I've gotta help Natsu!" Lucy raised Sagittarius' key, and it began to glow bright gold. "I am the one who connects the road to the celestial spirit world! Thou shalt respond to my calling and pass through the gate!" The key began to glow brightly, as Lucy pumped more magic into it. "Open! Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!" A bright golden light shined in front of Lucy, and moments later a man in a horse costume appeared. "Sagittarius!?"

"Yes, you called?" Sagittarius asked, as he saluted Lucy.

"What. The. Hell." Lucy breathed out, staring at Sagittarius with wide eyes.

"It's a guy in a horse suit?!" Happy obviously pointed out, as his mouth hung agape.

"Uh...we'll make a proper contract later, but can you make fire or lightning?" Lucy asked, her eyes pleading for Sagittarius to be able to help.

"Sorry..." Sagittarius replied, as he shook his head. "My skills lie only in archery."

"Luce." Natsu said, getting the blonde's attention. The pink-haired dragon slayer was panting heavily as he spit some blood from his mouth. "Please stay out of this. It's way too dangerous, and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt any further."

"O-Okay." Lucy said, as she pushed Sagittarius out of the way. _"Damn it! I feel so useless right now!" _

"**Fire Dragon's Purifying Sword Horn****!**" Natsu rocketed forward, his entire body engulfed in bright blue flames. The pink-haired dragon slayer slammed into Gajeel's stomach, but came to almost an immediate stop.

"Is that it?" Gajeel asked, as he hoisted Natsu up by his ankle. "Guess you're not so tough when you're hungry." A wicked grin spread across Gajeel's face, before he slammed Natsu into the iron floor. "Then eat some iron!" Tears formed in Lucy's eyes when she saw Natsu cough up a mouthful of blood. "I have no further use for you." The iron dragon slayer picked Natsu up by his head, and threw the dual dragon slayer across the room. "Get out of my sight, you fairy trash!" Natsu went tumbling across the room, and came to a skidding stop just outside a large hole in the wall.

"Hell yeah!"

"Gajeel's the man!"

"He totally kicked that guy's ass!"

"No...no way..." Lucy whimpered, tears flowing down her cheeks. The blonde tightly clenched a hand over her heart. "Natsu can't lose to him."

"Take a good look..." Gajeel said, as he burst out into laughter. "At the thing you're all fighting so hard to protect."

Natsu slowly raised his head, so that he could gaze out of the hole in the wall. What he saw caused his heart to momentarily stop. The guild where he had spent most of the last seven years, the guild where he had met his best friends and forged everlasting friendships, the guild he called home was now a pile of rubble on the horizon. Natsu could hear the cries of his nakama as they wept bitter tears. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, Fairy Tail had fallen.

"N-No..." Natsu breathed out, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. "It...it can't be..." As Natsu watched his home crumble, his fist clenched tightly as he remembered the first day he had joined Fairy Tail with Erza.

* * *

(Seven Years Ago; X777)

"Wow! This place is huge!" Natsu exclaimed, as he wandered around the guild. "So this is a mage guild?"

"It is quite impressive." Erza said, her uncovered eyes scanning around the guild hall. Loud laughter and shouts drew Erza's attention to the other side of the guild. "And it's so lively."

"Again, I welcome you both to Fairy Tail." Makarov said, as he walked up to the two children.

"Hey Ji-chan, why's this place called Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked, gazing up at the sign that hung above the door.

"Do fairies even have tails..." Makarov said, which caused Natsu to quirk an eyebrow. "Do they even exist...No one can say for sure...Like those fairies, this guild is an eternal mystery...a never-ending adventure!" Makarov smiled when he saw Natsu and Erza's eyes light up. "That's the true meaning behind the name...Now why don't you both go start introducing yourselves...I'm sure you'll make lots of friends."

* * *

_"Until that time do your best to protect Fairy Tail, okay?" _

"Lisanna...I'm so sorry...I couldn't do it..." Natsu said quietly, as he tried his best to hold in his sobs. "They...they destroyed our home...I wasn't strong enough...I couldn't stop them...It's all my-" Natsu stopped himself before he could finish his sentence. He remembered what Mirajane had said to him a few nights before, her words slapping him as hard as her hand.

_"Don't you dare blame yourself Natsu...Lisanna wouldn't want you blaming yourself..." _

"She's right." Natsu said to himself, slamming his fist into the ground. "I may not be able to protect the guild anymore, but I can still protect my nakama." Natsu slowly rose to his feet on weary legs. The pink-haired dragon's slayer's entire body ached, as he stood back up. Natsu's breaths were heavy and labored, when he took a weak step forward. "I won't give up. I will protect them."

"Why...Why's he still getting up?"

"That guy's insane."

"That's enough Natsu." Lucy whispered, seeing the pink-haired dragon slayer so battered and beaten caused her heart to break. "J-Just let them have me...Then they'll-" Lucy stopped when she felt a soft paw press against her leg. Looking down, Lucy spotted Happy staring intently at Natsu.

"Natsu's...he's not giving up just yet." Happy said, as he shook slightly.

"Your pathetic guild is in shambles." Gajeel said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just let it go."

"Fuck you." Natsu breathed out, his voice hoarse and weak. "As long as I'm still standing Fairy Tail isn't finished."

"Then I guess I'll just have to keep knocking you down, until you stay down for good." Gajeel said, before he backhanded Natsu across the face. The pink-haired dragon slayer recoil backwards, but he was quickly on his feet again.

"I...I can't watch anymore of this..." Lucy said, as she covered her eyes.

"Stay on your knees, Salamander!" Gajeel roared, kneeing Natsu in the stomach. The pink-haired dragon slayer's eyes bulged as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Gajeel loomed over Natsu, a dark smile on his face. "Just so know...I'm not the merciful type like you pitiful fairies...After I have my fun kicking your ass...you're gonna meet your maker, along with the rest of your friends." Gajeel then began to laugh hysterically as he repeatedly kicked Natsu.

"Destroying **Jupiter**, fighting the Elemental Four, and now this...Natsu's used up too much magical energy!" Happy exclaimed, as a few angry tears escaped his eyes. "If he had some fire or lightning to eat, Natsu would kick your ass for sure!"

"I understand now..." Sagittarius use, surprising Lucy and Happy. They watched as the archer reached into his quiver and pulled out an arrow. "It seems that there was a misunderstanding." Sagittarius readied his bow and took aim. "When you asked if I could produced fire or lightning, the obvious answer to that question was, no." Sagittarius' eyes locked on computer large terminal behind Natsu and Gajeel. "However, it would appear that the issue is not whether I can produce fire or lightning per se, but whether or not I can generate it."

"It's been fun Salamander, but it's time for you to die! **Iron Dragon's Sword!**" Gajeel yelled, swinging his transformed arm at Natsu.

"Stop it!" Happy screamed, as he closed his eyes in fear. Just when the words left Happy's mouth, Sagittarius fired his arrow. The arrow flew inches away from Gajeel's face, and impacted into the terminal. Instantly the terminal began to spark and sputter thick black smoke. Moments later the machine exploded, engulfing Natsu in a large fireball.

"He created flames and electricity by blowing up the machine!" Lucy exclaimed, watching as Natsu began to greedily ingest the flames and electricity. Sagittarius shot two more arrows, which destroyed two more machines; allowing Natsu to replenish even more of his magical energy.

"Where'd that fucking horse freak come from?!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he glared at Lucy and Sagittarius.

"Setting machinery ablaze is mere child's play for my arrows." Sagittarius said, lowering his bow.

"Great job Sagittarius! You really are a master archer!" Lucy cheered, as she flashed Sagittarius a large smile.

"Man that really hit the spot." Natsu said, licking his lips and wiping excess flames from his mouth. "I really owe you one Luce."

"Thank me later Natsu, you still have to kick Gajeel's ass!" Lucy yelled, before she gave Natsu a thumbs up.

"Don't get all cocky just because you ate some fire!" Gajeel roared, as he charged towards Natsu. "I still have the advantage!"

"**Fire Dragon's Purifying Roar!**" In the blink of an eye, Natsu spun around with eyes full of fury. The pink-haired dragon slayer's cheeks bulged, before he unleashed a brilliant stream of bright blue flames. The blue flames immidiately engulfed Gajeel; causing the iron dragon slayer to bellow in pain as his skin was severely burned.

"Get him Natsu!" Happy cheered, relieved to see that his best friend was making a comeback.

"Levy! Jet! Droy! **Ji-chan! Lisanna! Erza! Lucy!**" Every name Natsu said was punctuated by a flaming fist to Gajeel's face. "**AND FAIRY TAIL!**"

"Shit!" Gajeel yelled, as he put some distance between himself and Natsu. The iron dragon slayer's face was bright red and smoking slightly. "**Iron Dragon's Roar!**" To Gajeel's utter horror, Natsu deflected his breath attack with his bare hands. "H-He deflected it?!"

"How dare you lay a finger on any of them with that stupid fucking grin on your face!" Natsu roared, sprinting towards Gajeel at full speed. "I said, I'd make you pay for everything you've done! And I'm here to fucking collect! You're gonna wish you never even heard of Fairy Tail!" Before Gajeel had a chance to react, Natsu was on top of him. "**Lightning Dragon's Static Claw!**" Natsu's foot sparked with orange lightning, as it smashed into the back of Gajeel's head. "I'm not done with you yet!" Before Gajeel could even hit the ground, Natsu grabbed ahold of him. "**Fire Dragon's Purifying Wing Attack!**" Natsu set Gajeel's entire body ablaze, as he was sent flying across the room. The iron dragon slayer crashed through a wall, but Natsu still wasn't finished. "One more to finish you off!"

* * *

(Outside Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

Down by the ruins of Fairy Tail's guild hall, the defending mages were all surprised to see an explosion ring out from Phantom Lord's guild hall. Billowing smoke belched from a large hole near the top of the giant guild.

"Bisca, can you see what's happening?" Cana asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Got it." Bisca said, as she pulled out her rifle. She scoped in on the hole in the wall, and was surprised to see a man falling from it. "It...looks like a Phantom Lord mage got blow out of that hole...Wait! That's Gajeel!"

"Someone's beating Gajeel!?"

"Who could it be?!"

"They must be pretty strong to be beating the Iron Dragon Gajeel!"

"Hold up! Someone else just jumped after him!" Bisca said, spotting a second figure leaping after Gajeel. However, the green-haired cowgirl's eyes widened when she recognized the figure. "It's Natsu! He jumped out after Gajeel!"

"WHAT?!"

"What's that idiot doing?!" Cana shouted, as she ran up next to Bisca.

"It looks like...he's...he's..." Bisca could barely speak, when she saw bright blue flames alight off both of Natsu's hands. "When did Natsu get blue fire?" This caught everyone's attention, and they all crowded around Bisca now. "It looks like he's about to attack Gajeel." Bisca watched as Natsu clapped his hands over his head; forming a massive ball of blue fire above his head.

"Holy shit..." Cana breathed out when she saw the ball of fire. The raging ball of blue flames was almost as large as Fairy Tail's guild hall, and they could feel the heat from where they were standing. The lush brunette rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "I must be drunk." Then Natsu's attack hit, causing a flash as bright as the Sun. The explosion created by the spell created a massive shockwave, which sent all of the defending Fairy Tail mages onto their asses. When the heatwave from the explosion hit, Cana could feel the fringes of her bikini topping singeing. "Okay, I know I'm not drunk now."

"What the..."

"Phantom Lord's Guild has been..."

The defending Fairy Tail mages watched in awe, as most of Phantom Lord's guild hall collapsed and crumbled into the waters bellow. Many of the Fairy Tail mages stood in stunned silence for a few moments. Before a loud cheer broke that silence.

"That bastard did it! Natsu really did it!"

"YEAH!"

"He took out Gajeel and most of their guild!"

"You really are something special Natsu." Cana said, wiping a tear from her eye. The lush brunette couldn't help but smile as she listened to her nakama holler and cheer. "I'll have to think of a way to thank you for everything you've done the past few days."

* * *

(Seconds Earlier; With Natsu and Gajeel)

"With flames on my right hand, and flames on my left!" Natsu roared, clapping his hands together. The flames on both his began to fuse; forming a gigantic ball of blue fire above Natsu's head. "Together they make...**Fire Dragon's Elegant Flame!**" Natsu hurled the massive whirling ball of blue fire at Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer was completely consumed by the roaring flames. When Natsu's attack hit a huge explosion rang out; causing a blinding flash and incredible wave of heat. All around Natsu, Phantom Lord's guild hall collapsed and descended into the water below. With a sickening crunch Gajeel smashed into a still stable part of Phantom Lord's guild. The iron dragon slayer was bleeding heavily and was severely burned on a majority of his body. Natsu crashed into the ground a few feet away from Gajeel, his body battered and beaten as well. "Now...ya bastard...Now...we're even." Natsu released a heavy sigh and plopped down onto the ground. "Damn, that last attack really drained me."

"Natsu!" The pink-haired dragon slayer looked up to see Lucy descending towards him; with the help of Happy.

"Hey Luce!" Natsu cheered with a large grin on his face.

"Natsu! I'm so glad you're okay!" Lucy exclaimed, as she ran up to Natsu and enveloped him in a tight hug. Tears began to flow from Lucy's eyes, and she quickly buried her head into the crook of Natsu's neck. "Thank you...Thank you so much for saving me."

"I'll always rescue you Luce." Natsu said, wrapping his arms around the blonde tightly.

_"Do it now."_

_"Show her much you care for her."_

_"The timing is perfect." _

"You're my princess, Luce, and I'm you're guardian dragon." Those words caused Lucy's eyes to widen. The blonde celestial spirit mage slowly pushed away from Natsu, and locked eyes with Natsu.

"N-Natsu...what are yo-" Lucy was cut off when Natsu suddenly pressed his lips against hers. It wasn't the perfect kiss, because it was the first for both of them. But the passion and love Lucy could feel coming from Natsu took her breath away. It took Lucy a few moments to fully comprehend that Natsu was actually kissing her, but once it registered she returned the kiss with just as much passion. However, Lucy was shocked when Natsu suddenly pushed her away.

"I'm...I'm sorry Luce, I can't do this." Natsu said, avoiding Lucy's eyes.

"W-What? What are you talking about Natsu?" Lucy asked, as she cupped his cheek. "Natsu I...I love you. I've had a crush on you ever since we first met seven years ago, and my feelings for you have only grown since then. Please tell me you love me as well. Why else would you kiss me like that?"

"I...I think I do love you Lucy..." Natsu said, causing Lucy's eyes to light up. "But...you're not the only girl I love..."

"Not the only girl...Oh, Natsu I understand. I know you'll love other girls, and I'm okay with it." Lucy said, causing Natsu's eyes to widen.

"Y-You do? How could you understand?" Natsu asked, earning a light chuckle from the blonde.

"Mira showed me a book from Levy about dragons and dragon slayers. In the book it detailed how dragon mating customs transfer over to dragon slayers." Lucy explained, as she wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck. "However, the rituals change for dragon kings, like Igneel and Valinor. Dragon kings take more than one mate, up to three each. Dragon kings often instinctually picked a mate a first sight. They would often feel an invisible connection to their chosen mate, and would do everything in their power to make their mates happy." Natsu's eyes slowly widened as Lucy continued to her explanation. "And since you were raised by two dragon kings you're magic is driving you claim at least six mates."

"So that pull I've been feelings was because of my magic?" Natsu asked, earning a nod from Lucy. "Then that means I can be with Erza, Mira, and Juvia as well?"

"Juvia? That blue-haired girl from the Elemental Four. You felt a connection to her too?" Lucy asked, causing Natsu to nod his head. "Well, I guess that's fine with me. I've already spoken with Mira, and we've agreed to share you. Erza on the other hand will probably be a little harder to convince. Mira thinks once she sees you with me or her, it will open her up to the idea of sharing you."

"Erza is kinda possessive." Natsu said with a small smile, scratching his cheek. "Wait...you said you'd share me with Mira? So Mira likes me?"

"You're joking right?" Lucy asked, looking at Natsu as if he were the stupidest person in Earthland. "You seriously didn't notice?"

"Well, I kinda had a feeling but I didn't want to jump to conclusion until I was sure." Natsu replied, as his face started to burn red. "So what should I do about Erza, Mira, and Juvia?"

"We'll worry about that later." Lucy said, a bright smile spreading across her face. "For now, just kiss me again."

"My pleasure." Natsu said, before he locked lips with Lucy once again. This time Lucy felt a little more daring, and slipped her tongue into Natsu's mouth. This briefly took Natsu by surprise, but her quickly recovered and was soon tongue wrestling with the blonde. Both mages were so engrossed in their kiss that they didn't notice Happy off to the side; floating with his mouth agape. Suddenly the blue cat began to giggle hysterically.

"They liiiiiike each other." Happy purred, as he flew up to the new lovers.

"Yes Happy, I do like her." Natsu said, pressing his forehead against Lucy's.

"And I like him." Lucy said, as a small smile spread across her face.

Suddenly an explosion rang out several floors below, and Natsu felt a familiar pain in his chest. It was similar to when he had heard Lucy screaming in pain. Erza was in trouble, and her needed to go help her.

"Luce." Natsu said, grabbing ahold of the blonde's shoulders. "Erza needs my help, I have to go help her."

"Go save your knight, my dragon." Lucy said, as she placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Happy take Luce, and get her to safety." Natsu said, before he turned to face Gajeel.

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, grabbing Lucy and flying to a safe distance.

"Oi, I know you're awake." Natsu said, as he walked up to the iron dragon slayer.

"Tch, I can't believe I had to see you two suck face." Gajeel said, weakly turning his head to look glare at Natsu.

"I'm not done with you yet. Once I help Erza out, I have some questions to ask you." Natsu said, as he turned to leave. "So don't go anywhere."

"Like I can move anyways." Gajeel said, gazing down at the burns littering his body. "It still feels like I'm on fucking fire."

"Don't worry Erza, I'm going." Natsu said, as he descended back into Phantom Lord's guild hall.

* * *

**And done! There we have it, the first official romance of this fic. Natsu's first mate will be Lucy, and their lemon will be soon, so don't worry. I hope the Gajeel vs. Natsu fight lived up to all of your expectations. Next chapter, Natsu will confront Jose and save Erza. But I want to make this clear, Natsu WILL NOT be fighting Jose. Natsu may be extremely strong, but he's still not strong enough to fight a guild master, and he knows this. So please don't go into next chapter expecting Natsu to brawl it out with Jose, because it's not gonna happen. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know. Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW (Last chapter was good, but we can still do better. So get out there and review after this!), and PM me any ideas you have for any of my fics. I should have the last of the quick update chapters out soon, so look forward to that. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	20. Chapter 20 Fairy Law

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter! This chapter will be the last of the quick update chapters, so you'll have to wait a little while for the next one. In this chapter, I hope to end the Phantom Lord arc, so that we can move on into the Tower of Heaven arc; which I'm really looking forward to writing. Real quick, I want to thank MCvCODvBF** **for giving me the idea for the opening part of this chapter. ****Well there's not much else to say, so let's get to the fic. **

"Speech"

_"Thoughts" _

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still in Hiro Mashima's capable hands.**

* * *

(Outside of Fairy Tail)

"Bisca what's going on now?" Cana asked, when the blinding light had died down and the smoke had cleared.

"It's still kinda hard to see." Bisca replied, as she peered through the scope of her rifle. "But...Yes! Natsu's still standing! And...Gajeel's down! He did it!"

"Yeah! Natsu really beat Gajeel!"

"He did it!"

"Wait...Here comes Lucy and Happy..." Bisca said, watching the blonde celestial spirit mage land in front of the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Awww...she's giving him a hug! She must be thanking him for-" Cana was surprised when the green-haired cowgirl suddenly stopped talking. Gazing down at Bisca, the brunette card mage was surprised to see a fierce blush spreading across the woman's face.

"Oi Bisca, what's happening?" Cana asked, as she tapped the cowgirl's shoulder. "You got real quiet all of a sudden, and you're blushing up a storm. What did you see?"

"I...I...I shouldn't say." Bisca replied, lowering her rifle; the blush on her face darkening several shades. _"Damn, I wish Alzack would man the hell up and kiss me like that." _

"Gimme that!" Cana exclaimed, before she snatched the rifle from Bisca's hands. The cowgirl tried to take the rifle back, but Cana managed to hold her off. Peering through the scope, Cana didn't see anything too strange. "What are you blushing for? It just looks like Happy's teasing them about something...and now Natsu is pressing his forehead against Lucy's...Wait...What's Natsu...Oh my God!" Cana couldn't believe what she was seeing. Natsu and Lucy were kissing, and the lush brunette swore she could see some tongue!

"Cana!" Bisca hissed, trying her hardest to get her rifle back. "Don't you dare tell anyone! We have to keep what we saw a secret until they're ready!"

"Oh don't worry, their secret is safe with me." Cana said, as she handed the rifle back to Bisca.

"Good, now let's mop up the rest of these **shade **soldiers." Bisca said, slinging the rifle over her shoulder. The green-haired cowgirl never noticed the smirk the spread across the busty brunette's face.

_"Heheh, I'm never gonna let those two hear the end of this." _Cana thought, as she imagined all of the ways she could tease both mages.

* * *

(With Erza and Jose)

"Hahaha." Jose laughed, as the room began to collapse around them. "Those dragons sure do love to rampage and run wild...*Sigh* But judging from that heat wave we just felt, it seems my iron dragon was defeated."

"*Pant* *Pant* You've all underestimated Natsu...*Pant* His...His magical power is on a level even greater than mine now." Erza said, trying her best to remain standing. The scarlet-haired knight was exhausted from the constant fighting, and was on the verge of collapse. But Titania couldn't falter now, around her laid the bodies of her unconscious nakama. If she fell now, they'd all be easy targets for Jose.

"Hm, stop being so modest Titania." Jose said, as he let out a dark chuckle. "Your magical power is truly something to behold. Truth be told...no mage has ever lasted this long against me." An evil smirk spread across Jose's face, as he raised his hand. "Why if you hadn't stopped **Jupiter** this may have been a much more interesting fight. However, I just can't stand the thought..." Dark magical energy began to gather around Jose's hand. "Of another mage of that level existing in Makarov's guild!" A stream of dark energy flew from Jose's hand and struck Erza. Titania screamed in pain, as she was sent flying back into a wall. "Do you have any idea why I didn't just kill Makarov outright?" Erza suddenly sprang out of the wall to dodge another one of Jose's attacks. "Despair. I wanted to show him true and unrelenting despair." Erza growled when she saw another twisted smile on Jose's face. "How would he feel to open his eye and find his beloved guild destroyed and nakama killed. Hahahaha...such sorrow he would feel...I can almost see it now...I will kill that man once I know he feels true despair! I won't simply kill him! That would be far too easy! I must make him suffer, suffer until the bitter end!"

"You disgusting bastard!" Erza growled, continuing to dodge Jose's attacks.

"Phantom Lord has always been the number one guild in Fiore..." Jose continued, a maniacal look in his eyes. "In this whole country, our magic was unsurpassed, our members' talents were unsurpassed, and our wealth was unsurpassed! But...in the span of just a few years Fairy Tail rose to power." Jose leveled a fierce glare upon Erza. "Laxus and Erza, Mystogan and Gildarts, even Natsu and Gray...their names spread as far as my hometown. Rumors of you and Natsu's legendary teamwork spread through out the entire country. Before I knew it, Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail came to represent this country. I-I just couldn't stand it! They, who started out as some shitty weak little guild, now challenged the might Phantom Lord for the spot of top guild!"

"Are you telling me this whole war was because of some petty fucking jealousy?!" Erza roared, charging forward and slashing her dual swords at Jose. Phantom Lord's master easily dodged Erza's powerful strikes. "All this bloodshed and destruction was because you were jealous of us?!"

"Jealousy? That's not it." Jose said, as he dodged a horizontal slash. "We just wish to make it painfully clear that we're the strongest guild in Fiore!"

"For some stupid fucking reason like that!? You caused all this chaos just so you could flex your muscles, and show how strong you are?!" Erza screamed, before she was captured by Jose's magic. The scarlet-haired knight winced as the magic's grip on her tightened.

"Oh, Fairy Tail has been irritating me for a long time. But the trigger for this war was actually quite trivial." Jose said, as a smirk spread across his face. "We received a request to recover the lost heiress to the Heartfilia conglomerate."

_"Lucy?!" _Erza thought, fearing for the blonde celestial spirit mage's safety.

"The daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Fiore joined Fairy Tail?! How '**_amazing_**' did your guild have to become before you were satisfied?!" Jose yelled, with a crazed look in his eyes. "If you pathetic guild had free reign over the Heartfilia's funds...then your power would finally exceed Phantom Lord's! And that is something that simply cannot happen!" Erza screamed in pain, as the magic began to constrict her. The scarlet-haired knight coughed up some blood as her breathing started to become ragged. However, through all the pain Erza managed to crack a smile.

"You know, it's pretty fucking pathetic of you to get all worked up over 'who's the best.' But...what's really surprising is how terrible...your information gathering is." Erza said in a strained voice, as sweat began to pour off her brow. "

"What did you say, little missy?" Jose asked, glaring at Titania.

"Lucy ran away from home you dumbass...We couldn't use her money...even if we wanted too..." Erza explained, which caused Jose's eyes to widen considerably. "She lives in a 70,000 jewel apartment, that she works her ass off to pay for...just like the rest of us...she's fought with us...laughed with us...and cried with us...She became friends with everyone in the span of a few days...She's a mage of our guild...You're telling me this war started because of Lucy, heiress to the Heartfilia family? A flower can't pick where it blooms...And a child can't choose the parents she's born to." Erza became filled with a sudden rage, as she fiercely glared at Jose. "You don't know a fucking thing about Lucy!"

"Well I guess I'll find out then." Jose said, a maniacal glint in his eyes. "Do you really expect me to hand her over for free? Oh no, I'm going milk her for every cent she's worth, until the Heartfilia's have no money left. I'm going to get my hands on the entire Heartfilia fortune."

"FUCK YOU!" Erza roared, as she desperately tried break free from the magic restraining her. "When I get my hands on you, I'm going to kick the shit out of you! I won't let you lay a fucking finger on Lucy!"

"Oh I wouldn't struggle if I were you. It will all be over you soon." Jose said, as he picked up one of Erza's sword. Phantom Lord's master smirked when he felt a powerful magical presence approaching. _"Hmm, it seems like Makarov has made a recovery. Let's make this fun shall we?" _Raising Erza's sword like a spear, Jose hurled it at the defenseless knight. But before the sword could reach Erza, the blade was caught in the air. Jose caught a flash of pink hair, as the newcomer grabbed Erza and dove for cover. _"That wasn't Makarov. But...but the amount of magical power I sensed...it was on the same level as Makarov's...Who is this boy?" _

"Are you okay, Erza?" Slowly opening her eyes, Erza was shocked to see Natsu hovering over her. "Erza, please say something."

"N-Natsu?" Erza asked, as sense of relief washed over her. Natsu was here, the dragon had come to save the knight. "What are you doing here? What about Lucy?"

"Lucy is fine. I beat Gajeel, and had Happy get her out of here." Natsu explained, laying Erza's sword down next to the knight. The pink-haired dragon slayer scanned over Erza's injuries. She was bruised and cut in several places, but she'd be fine in a few days. "I felt something was off, so I came rushing here to help you." Natsu gazed around the rest of the room, and spotted Mirajane, Gray, and Elfman's unconscious forms. "He did this to all of you?"

"Yes...he's incredibly powerful..." Erza said, as she hung her head. "There was nothing I could do against him."

"You, hiding over there!" Jose's voice rang out, startling Erza and Natsu. "Are you going to cower away forever, or are you going to show yourself?"

"Natsu...you need to get out of here." Erza pleaded, as she cupped Natsu's cheek. "Whatever happened earlier...you're stronger...so much stronger than before...but you're still no match against him...He's a guild master and a Wizard Saint...the only ones who could stand against him are Master himself and Gildarts."

"I know I'm not stronger than him." Natsu said, gently gripping Erza's wrist and removing her hand from his face. "But I have to buy us some time...I just have to stall him for a little bit longer." The pink-haired dragon slayer suddenly pulled Erza in for a tight hug. "Please, stay here and don't move. You'll be safe behind cover, I won't let him hurt you anymore."

"Natsu..." Erza whimpered, as she felt tears sting her left eye. The scarlet-haired knight tightly wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck. "Please don't go out there. He might kill you, Natsu"

"It's a risk I have to take." Natsu said, breaking their embrace. "He'll be here soon, and I need to get him some extra time."

"Who'll be here?" Erza asked, but it was too late. Natsu had already stood and let their hiding spot. _"Natsu...for the love of God, please stay safe." _

"So...you're the one I sensed that incredible magical power from?" Jose asked, as Natsu emerged from behind the cover he was hiding behind. "Ah, you're the Salamander aren't you. I've heard so many rumors about you. If you're here then that must mean you've defeated Gajeel. He is such a disappointment."

"Shut your God damn mouth." Natsu snarled, his eyes filling with rage. "Gajeel may have hurt my nakama and trashed my guild, and I can never forgive him for some of the things he's done. But don't you dare call him a disappointment. He gave me the toughest damn fight of my life, and without Lucy saving my ass I'd likely be dead right now."

_"What?!" _Erza thought, as she clenched a hand over her heart. _"Natsu...almost died? Thank you Lucy...thank you for keeping him safe."_

"I learned a lot from him during our fight. He didn't need to tell me anything with words, I learned a lot about him through our fists." Natsu's fist suddenly became engulfed in intense blue flames. "You've corrupted him. Just like you corrupted Juvia. Made them think that Fairy Tail was a terrible good-for-nothing guild, and that we needed to be put in our place. Gajeel may be an arrogant, self absorbed asshole at times, but I can tell that deep down he's actually a good guy; who's gone through numerous hardships, just like all of us dragon slayers. I stand for you belittling one of my fellow dragon slayers, especially one who you've twisted with your damn lies!"

"Oho, and what are you going to do about it?" Jose taunted with an amused look.

"You may be a Wizard Saint and a guild master, but that does't mean I can't kick your ass!" Natsu exclaimed, his blue flames exploding off his body.

"My, my, what powerful flames. But they won't be enough to beat me." Jose said, as dark magic surrounded his entire body. "My **shade** magic consumes all in its path."

"Funny, so do my flames." Natsu said, a feral grin spreading across his face. "Let's see who's magic is really all consuming."

"Hmm, you may actually prove be quite entertaining." Jose said, as he gestured for Natsu to attack. "Come little dragon, show me what you've got."

"You asked for it!" Natsu roared, charging towards Jose. Phantom Lord's guild master unleashed a wave of **shade **magic, but Natsu's fast reflexes allowed him to slide underneath it. "**Fire Dragon's Purifying Iron Fist!**" Natsu struck Jose with a powerful flaming uppercut; sending the man into the air. Quickly following up with another attack, Natsu's cheeks began to bulge with lightning. "**Lightning Dragon's Static Roar!**" A large stream of orange lightning flowed from Natsu's mouth and struck Jose. When Natsu's attack hit, an explosion filled the room with static electricity.

"Did...did he get him?" Erza asked, as she poked her head out of cover.

"I must say that was rather impressive." Jose said, emerging from a cloud of smoke. However, Erza and Natsu's eyes widened when Jose appeared to be completely unharmed. "Those flames are the hottest I've ever felt, I think they may have even singed my hair. And that lightning is quite impressive to, it actually tickled me a little."

_"Damn, he doesn't even have a fucking scratch on him!" _Natsu thought, as he grit his teeth in frustration. _"But I just have to hold him off for a little bit longer. He'll be here soon, I know it!" _Natsu's cheeks suddenly bulged with searing blue fire. "**Fire Dragon's Purifying Roar!**" The stream of fire erupted from Natsu's mouth, and rocketed towards Jose. But to Natsu's horror, Jose created a wall of **shade **magic which completely dissolved his flames.

"I think I'm done playing with you." Jose said in a menacing tone; lowering the wall of dark magic. "You definitely are strong, you may even have the potential to surpass Makarov and Gildarts. But that means you're a threat to my plan, which means I must eliminate you." In the blink of an eye, Jose had Natsu by the throat. Natsu gasped as Jose's grip tightened around his throat. "Such a shame. If only you'd joined my guild instead. You could have been such a valuable asset."

"Fuck...you..." Natsu said, as he definitely glared at Jose.

"Such insolence. What is with you fairies and your foul mouths?" Jose asked, his fingers digging into Natsu's throat. However, Jose's grip slackened slightly when he saw a smile spread across Natsu's face. "What are you smiling about, boy? You happy to be at death's door?"

"Erza's...right...you really are...a dumbass..." Natsu said, causing Jose to snarl in annoyance. "I wasn't...really trying to...beat you..." Jose's eyes shot open when he felt a second large magical presence approaching. "I was...distracting your...stupid ass..."

"Why you little-" Jose never finished his sentence. A burst of **light** magic collided into Jose's stomach; sending Phantom Lord's master flying back. Natsu dropped to the dropped, taking several deep lungfuls of air.

"You spilled much blood on this day..." An angry voice said from behind a wall of smoke and debris. "The blood of my children...Thanks to pitiful parents, a child went through much pain, and shed many tears..." Jose growled as the newcomer's figure became visible trough the smoking; revealing the person to be of short stature. "And that goes for more than one child...this has gone far enough..." The figure fully stepped out of the smoke; revealing Fairy Tail's master, Makarov Dreyar. "I must put an end to this!"

"Master." Erza breathed out, as a single tear rolled down her left cheek.

"I knew you'd come, Ji-chan." Natsu said, grinning at Makarov.

"So, you wish to cause a catastrophe, Makarov?" Jose asked with a crazed look in his eyes.

"If it is necessary to save my guild and my children." Makarov replied, glaring at Jose with eyes full of fury.

* * *

(Forest Outside Magnolia)

_"The trees...the Earth...the atmosphere...they're all afraid..." _Porlyusica thought, as she gazed up at the sky. Suddenly the pink-haired woman growled, and kicked a box next to her; sending several apples tumbling onto the ground. "This is exactly why humans are so stupid! They're just a bunch of morons, who think fighting is the only way to solve anything! That dumbass, Makarov! If you want to die so badly, go ahead! See if I care!" As Porlyusica continued to rant and rave, her eye caught an apple as it rolled away. She followed the rolling fruit until it was stopped by a masked man, who was sitting on a tree stump. "Mystogan."

"May I?" Mystogan asked, holding up the apple.

"I see..." Porlyusica said, as she rubbed her chin. "I thought it was quite strange that Makarov made such a speedy recovery. You must have gathered all of his lost magic." A tic mark formed on Porlyusica's head when Mystogan said nothing, and simply bit into his apple. "Oi! Don't just go around eating random fruit!"

"Two giants have made their move..." Mystogan said cryptically, before taking another bite of the apple. "This war will end soon." A hidden smirk spread across Mystogan's face. _"It seems Natsu has become even more powerful. Keep getting stronger and protect those that you love, my old friend." _

"I don't enjoy making remarks that condone humans fight one another...you're a nakama of Makarov's too, aren't you? Why aren't you out there, getting involved in the conflict some way?" Porlyusica's suddenly eyes widened when Mystogan reached into his cloak, and pulled out dozens of Phantom Lord flags. _"Phantom Flags?! Don't tell me...he single-handedly took out all of Phantom Lord's subdivisions!" _

"I'm needed on the frontline. Natsu and Master Makarov have things handled." Mystogan said, as he stood up from the tree stump. "Do you have anymore apples?"

"Tch, you people truly amaze me." Porlyusica said, turning her back to Mystogan. "An excess of power only leads to sorrows...and anger can cause one to forget they are surrounded in tragedies..."

"I wish to believe that those tragedies are bathed in a sacred light." Mystogan said, as he gazed up at the clear blue sky. "A sacred light, that is guiding this world."

* * *

(With Makarov and Jose)

"Natsu, you did well holding him off." Makarov said, casting a quick glance over at the pink-haired dragon slayer. "You've grow so much, and have become so strong...but you must get everyone else out of here."

"Huh?" Gray muttered, as he and Elfman regained consciousness. "What's this warm feeling...this magic feels so nostalgic."

"I'm not going to repeat my self again." Makarov said in a stern and serious tone. "You all need to leave, now!"

"Master?!" Gray exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Why are you here?!" Elfman shouted, slowly getting onto his feet.

"Just do what Ji-chan say." Natsu said, as he hoisted Erza onto her feet and let her lean against him for support.

"Flame brain? You don't want to stay and fight?" Gray asked, quirking a dark eyebrow.

"Come on Mira, can you stand on your own?" Natsu asked, as he helped the barmaid onto her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine Natsu." Mirajane said, flashing Natsu a small smile. "Thanks for coming back for us."

"I could never leave my knight and favorite barmaid behind." Natsu said, causing a slight blush to spread across both girls' faces.

"Now that you're here before me, I have no interest in those weaklings." Jose said, as he continued his stare down with Makarov. "However, I shall slaughter them all once we're finished here."

"Natsu, are you seriously suggesting we just leave, Ji-chan?' Gray asked, causing Natsu to release a heavy sigh.

"This isn't our fight Gray." Natsu said, as he turned to exit Phantom Lord's guild. "I hate to say this, but we'll just get in the way of this fight. I know this sounds really weird coming from me, but we stand no chance against him."

"We need to leave everything to Master, and believe in him." Erza said, casting one last glance at Makarov.

"Tch, I guess you're right." Gray said, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Let's get out of here."

"It has been six years since we stood face-to-face!" Jose exclaimed, his imposing figure towering over Makarov. "Who would have thought Fairy Tail could become so large in such a short span of time? Ah...but's nothing more than a mere pile of scraps and rubble now."

"A guild is not just a building!" Makarov said, as he made several sweeping gestures with his fingers; forming dozens of small spheres of light in front of him. "It is the sum of its members!"

"Still, I am so overjoyed..." Jose said, his large twisted smile forming again. "For two of the Wizard Saints to fight to determine who's stronger."

"My children, I thank you all for your efforts." Makarov said to the retreating Fairy Tail mages. "You've all done so well. Take pride in being members of Fairy Tail!" The sky above Phantom Lord's guild hall soon filled with menacing storm clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder rang out. Below the ocean began to stir, causing large waves to crash into the remaining portion of Phantom Lord. Lastly the ground began to quake, as if an earthquake had struck. Without warning, a bolt of light fired from Makarov's finger, and pierced Jose's shoulder. Phantom Lord's master was sent flying back by the force of the attack. However, Makarov winced as a similar wound suddenly appeared on his shoulder. Skidding to a stop, Jose gathered a large amount of **shade **magic around his hands.

"**Dead Wave!**" Jose roared, sending a torrent of ghosts which formed a destructive wave. Makarov was prepared for this, and cast a powerful defensive spell to block Jose's attack. Jose's spell clashed with Makarov's sending out a massive shockwave, that shook the entire guild.

* * *

(With Natsu and the Others)

"What was that?!" Gray asked, as bits of debris rained down on them.

"That's the power of two wizard saints." Natsu said, reaching the exit to Phantom Lord's guild. "You glad we didn't stay now?" Seeing Gray nod, Natsu gently handed Erza over to him. "Take Erza and get out of here."

"Wait, what about you Natsu?" Erza asked, before worry flashed through her eyes. "You're not going back there are you?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? I may make a lot of rash decisions, but I don't have a death wish. I still have too many things to do." Natsu said, patting Erza on the head. "I just have something I need to do before I head out of here. Don't worry, I'll be fine..." Suddenly Natsu noticed that someone was missing from the group. "Oi, where's Juvia?"

"Huh?" Gray said, as he scanned over the members of their group. "You're right she's gone. She must have regained consciousness before the rest of us, and slipped out."

"Damn it, she left before I could say goodbye again." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head. "She's a tough girl, so I know she'll be fine wherever she is. Plus I get the feeling we'll be seeing her soon enough."

"Tch, whatever you say flame brain." Gray said, as he turned to exit Phantom Lord's guild hall. "Come on Erza, let's get out of here."

"Right." Erza said, turning her head back to gaze at Natsu's retreating form. "Stay safe Natsu!"

"Yeah, you better not come back more hurt than you already are!" Mirajane called out, earning her and Erza a thumbs up from the pink-haired dragon slayer.

"Come on nee-chan, we need to get out of here." Elfman said, placing a hand on Mirajane's shoulder.

"You're right." Mirajane said with a smile, as the Fairy Tail mages exited the guild hall.

* * *

(Back With Makarov and Jose)

"That was fairly impressive." Makarov said, smoke and debris blowing around him and Jose. "So much power at a young age...you've definitely earned your spot amongst the Wizard Saints." The elderly master released a light sigh, and locked eyes with Jose. "If you had used your power for good, and become a model mage for those younger than you, the magic world would have benefitted greatly."

"Heh, are you preaching to me old man..." Jose asked, as a smirk spread across his face.

"It is a custom for Fairy Tail's justice system...I give you to the count of three." Makarov said in a menacing tone, his body growing until he towered over Jose. Now the gigantic man loomed over Jose. "Kneel!"

"What?" Jose asked in an amused tone. "You think I'll bo-"

"One!" Makarov's voice thundered out, as he began his countdown.

"Hahahaha! What nonsense are you spouting?! There is no way I'll kneel before you!" Jose exclaimed, glaring up at Makarov.

"Two!" A large amount of magical energy began to gather in between Makarov's hands; the magical energy took the form a glowing sphere of magical energy.

"You wish for me to kneel before you, and acknowledge you as the strongest guild in Fiore?! Stopping messing around! We're fighting, and I am your equal!" Jose roared, anger surging through his body. "Forget that, I'm stronger than you!"

"Three!"

"You're the one who should be kneeling before me! Now die already! Crumble to dust and be erased from history, Fairy Tail!" Jose yelled, as he began to prepare an attack of his own.

"Your time is up, Jose. It's time for you to receive divine judgement!" Makarov exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "**Fairy Law**, activate!" The storm clouds overhead separated and a blinding, almost holy, light flooded the entire area. A light rivaling Natsu's blinding area flooded the sky. Everyone had to shield their eyes from the brilliant light. The defending Fairy Tail mages, along with Erza and her team, were in awe of the beautiful light.

"Wha...What's that light?"

"It's so bright!"

"Oi! Something is happening to the **shades**!"

All around the Fairy Tail mages, Jose's **shade **ghost soldiers were destroyed by the intense light. The ghosts eerie screams filled the everyone's ears, as they were taken out one-by-one.

"It's not harming us?" Alzack said, as he inspected himself for any injuries.

"This light...it's friendly?" Bisca asked, watching the last of the ghostly soldiers disappear.

"It's **Fairy Law**!" Erza said, as a bright smile spread across her face. "With holy light, it destroys all darkness. It only harms things that the caster considers an enemy! It's a super-magic that is counted as a legendary spell!"

"That means..."

"WE WON!"

"WE BEAT PHANTOM LORD!"

When the light began to dissipate, Jose stood deathly still. Phantom Lord's guild master was a ghostly pale, and all of his hair had turned white. The formerly boisterous guild master now had a horrified expression plastered on his face. Jose's mouth hung agape, and his eyes were wide open; he would occasionally twitch every few seconds.

"Never come near Fairy Tail, or my children ever again!" Makarov said, glaring at Jose. "You've caused so much damage, the council is sure to take action! But for now I can only worry about my own!" As Makarov walked away from Jose, he never noticed Aria sneaking up behind him.

_"Just like before!" _Aria thought, as he prepared another surprise attack on Makarov. _"He's full of openings! I've got him!"_

"**Fire Dragon's Purifying Iron Fist!**" Out of nowhere, Natsu launched towards Aria. The dual dragon slayer's blue flaming fist slammed into Aria's jaw; sending the man flying through a nearby wall. "Stay the fuck away from Ji-chan."

"Thank you my boy, but I knew he was there." Makarov said, turning to face the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Why are you still here? I thought I told you all to get out of here?"

"I knew you could have gotten him Ji-chan, but I owed him for that cheap shot he got on you earlier." Natsu said, as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm still here because I've got some business to take care of, it shouldn't take very long."

"*Sigh* Well make it quick." Makarov said, turning to leave once again. "This war is now over. We've won this battle." Makarov glared at the hole Aria had been blow through. "If you wish to still fight, I'll obliterate you! Take Jose and get out of here, now!"

* * *

(Two Minutes Later)

"Oi! You still up here?!" Natsu called up, as he climbed back up to where Gajeel was.

"Yeah, I'm still here you fucking loudmouth." Gajeel said, sitting against a partially destroyed wall. The iron dragon slayer had managed to drag himself upright, despite the severe burns that covered his body. "I told ya earlier that I could barely move, and that hasn't fucking changed."

"Wow, someone's in a bad mood." Natsu teased with a toothy grin. "You a sore loser or something?"

"Shut your damn trap!" Gajeel exclaimed, his blood red eyes glaring at Natsu. "You said you had some questions for me, so out with it."

"Your dragon slayer magic..." Natsu said, as he approached Gajeel and sat down next to the iron dragon slayer. "Where did you learn it...or do you have a lacrima in your body?"

"Lacrima? I'm fucking insulted that'd you think I have a that fake ass dragon slayer magic." Gajeel said, before he took a deep breath. "I learned my magic from a dragon...his name was Metalicana...the iron dragon."

"So you did learn your magic from a dragon." Natsu said, as he rubbed his chin. "You're the second dragon slayer I've met...the other one I haven't seen in...God like seven years now...I was raised by two dragons...Igneel, the fire dragon king...and Valinor, the lightning dragon king."

"So you really did learn magic from two different dragons, kings no less?" Gajeel said, pondering what Natsu had said. Suddenly Gajeel's eyes widened when he remembered something Metalicana had told him. "Wait a second...that blonde girl...Lucy I think her name was...is she...is she your mate?"

"One of them, why do you ask?" Natsu replied, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the iron dragon slayer.

"One of them? You can have more than one?" Gajeel asked, earning a nod from the pink-haired dragon slayer next to him.

"It has to do with me being raised by two different dragon kings. Mating is different when it comes to dragon kings. They're driven to take multiple mates apparently." Natsu explained, as he continued to glare at Gajeel. "Now answer my question. Why did you want to know?"

"I just wanted to know, because it makes sense why you went so berserk when we fought. You were pissed that I hurt your mate, I'm actually kinda surprised you didn't kill me." Gajeel said with a dry chuckle.

"You may have hurt Luce, but I couldn't kill you. I would never be able to forgive myself if I killed someone in cold blood. I wouldn't be able to face my nakama again." Natsu said, tightly clasping his hands in his lap. "However, if you had killed Lucy, I would have taken your life without hesitation. I...I can't lose her, or any of the girls I'm trying to mate with. So, I'm only give you one warning Gajeel. If I ever see you hurt Lucy again, I will beat you to within an inch of your life."

"Okay, okay, message received." Gajeel said, as he slowly inched away from Natsu. "I won't lay a hand on blondie again."

"So, how's Metalicana doing?" Natsu asked, trying to change the subject.

"I dunno." Gajeel said, as his expression suddenly became downtrodden. "He disappeared one day without saying a thing...*Sigh* He was always so selfish."

"Hey, Metalicana didn't disappear on July 7th, X777, did he?" Natsu asked, causing Gajeel's eyes to shoot open.

"Do you have an idea where Metalicana is?" Gajeel replied, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"No." Natsu replied, causing Gajeel to deflate instantly. "It's just that Igneel disappeared on the same day, along with the dragon of the other dragon slayer I met..."

"*Grunt* Well this ain't got anything to do with me." Gajeel said, as he slowly inched up the wall back onto his feet. Wincing in pain, the iron dragon slayer pushed off the wall that had been supporting him.

"If you're gonna leave, you better get out of here soon." Natsu said, causing Gajeel's head to snap towards him.

"This is our guild! You fucking leave!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he glared at Natsu.

"Well the magical council will probably be here soon, and I'm guessing they're not going to be too kind if they catch you." Natsu said, standing back onto his feet as well.

"Shit, you're right." Gajeel said, as he gazed down at his feet. "I better get out of here then."

"If you hear anything about Igneel let me know." Natsu said, turning to leave.

"Find out yourself." Gajeel said, not bothering to turn and face Natsu.

"If I find anything out about Metalicana, I'll tell you." Natsu said, stopping Gajeel in his tracks. The iron dragon slayer turned his head to see Natsu grinning at him. "Besides, we're both dragon slayers. We need to look out for each other."

"I don't need anyone to look out for me." Gajeel said, as he turned his head back around. "Oi, Salamander?"

"Yeah Gajeel." Natsu said, surprised by the iron dragon slayer's sudden change of tone.

"For...For what it's worth...I'm sorry for hurting blondie...and wrecking your guild..." Gajeel said, as he hung his head. "If I had know she was your mate, I would never have gone near her. I know you never fuck with a dragon's mate."

"I accept your apology Gajeel, but I can't forgive you for some of the things you've done." Natsu said, earning a deep sigh from the iron dragon slayer.

"Yeah, I expected that." Gajeel said, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe we'll cross paths again one day, Salamander. When we do, I want a rematch."

"You got it." Natsu said, a small smile spreading across his face. "You know, you'll always be welcome at Fairy Tail." With those final words, Natsu turned and left Gajeel alone.

"Tch, like I'd ever join that pathetic guild." Gajeel said, as he began to limp away. The idea of joining Fairy Tail didn't sound so bad all of a sudden.

* * *

(Ruins of Fairy Tail)

"Wow..." Makarov said, scratching his chin as he stared at the rubble that remained of Fairy Tail's guild hall. "This place got trashed."

"U-Uh, Master..." Lucy said sheepishly, as she rubbed her arm.

"Hmm? Looks like you all ran into quite a bit of trouble." Makarov said, causing Lucy's face to sadden.

"Don't look so sad Lu-chan!" A cheery voice called out from Behind Lucy. The blonde celestial spirit mage slowly turned around, and saw Levy, Jet, Droy, and Reedus standing behind her. The members of Team Shadow Gear were all heavily bandaged, and Reedus covered in several cuts and bruises as well. "It's a victory! We all fought together to achieve it!"

"Although, our guild kinda got smashed." Droy commented with a light chuckle.

"Ah, we can just rebuild it." Jet said, smiling at Lucy.

"Levy-chan...Reedus...Jet...Droy..." Lucy said, as regret filled her eyes.

"Sorry for making you worry." Levy said, causing Lucy to tear up.

"N-No...it's my..." Lucy was quickly cut off by Levy.

"I heard the whole story, and no one blames you for any of this, Lu-chan." Levy said, as Lucy began to violently shake her head.

"Lucy." Makarov's stern voice suddenly rang out. "Happiness. Sadness. We can't share all out it, but we can share some of it. That is guild. One member's happiness, is everyone's happiness. One member's rage, is everyone's rage. One member's tears, are everyone's tears." Lucy began to get chocked up as she listened to Makarov's speech. "You don't have to suffer with guilt, we're all here for you. Please raise your head, for you are a pound member of Fairy Tail." That finally did, tears finally began to pour from Lucy's eyes. The blonde collapsed to her knees, and covered her face with her hands.

"Let it all out Luce. Like Ji-chan said, we're all here for you." Natsu said, crouching next to Lucy and patting her back. That simply made Lucy cry even harder. Natsu smiled and pulled Lucy into a tight embrace, as the rest of Fairy Tail gathered around the blonde to try and cheer her up.

* * *

(One Week Later)

_"It's been one week since our war with Phantom Lord. Things are finally starting to be normal again." _Lucy thought, as she jotted down another note to her mother. _"But we've had a lot of trouble since the war ended. We got rounded up by the council's ruin knights. They took us to an army camp far away for an investigation. We were questioned relentlessly everyday. And after a whole week, they finally let us go. The council is going to deliver their verdict on Fairy Tail later. But don't worry mom, the verdict probably won't be too serious. Because we have plenty of evidence and eye witnesses to prove that Phantom Lord started the whole war. Anyways mom, I have some big news. I finally got the man of my dreams. His name is Natsu, and I'm sure you'd love him. I've had a crush on him for so long, and ever since I joined Fairy Tail my feelings for him have only grown. I recently found out that he loves me too, and we're starting to work things out. Since the army was investigating us, we could't really spend too much time together. But he'd always find a way for us to meet up in private. Our relationship is a little different, for reasons I won't go into, but I love him with all of my heart." _Lucy suddenly winced when one of the large bruises on her side began to ache.

"Damn it, that really stings. I really hope this won't leave a mark." Lucy said, lifting up her shirt to look at the bruise just above her waist. The blonde sighed and returned to writing her letter.

_"Hey...mom...do you really think it was him who was really behind all of this? This seems too far even for him." _Lucy through, as she remembered how poorly her father used to treat her, even when it was her birthday. _"But why is he trying so hard to get me back all of a sudden? It's not like he ever had any interest in me. I've caused so much trouble for Fairy Tail. Mom...he'll do it again...won't he...The same thing...using the power of his money...I have to do something..." _Lucy let out a light sigh. Placing the letter in an envelope, Lucy sealed the letter close. With determination flashing through her eyes, Lucy grabbed another sheet of paper.

* * *

(Fairy Tail Construction Site)

"God damn this is heavy." Natsu said in a strained voice, carrying over a dozen large wood planks on his back.

"That's because you're carrying so many dumbass." Gray said, just as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. But before he could get a good look whatever was there had left.

"Ha! You're just jealous because you can't carry as many as me!" Natsu taunted, his eyes daring the ice mage to challenge.

"Tch, if I really wanted to I could carry twice as many as your weak ass." Gray said, as he lifted a wooden plank onto his shoulder. Within minutes Gray had twice as many planks on his back as Natsu. The ice mage was so hunched over that his chest was only a few inches of the ground, but somehow managed to not drop the planks. "S...See...t-take...that...flame brain..."

_"Gray-sama is so strong!" _Juvia thought, clapping her hand enthusiastically. However, her clapping had alerted Gray. The ice mage turned his head towards the source of the sound, but Juvia had quickly ducked around a corner. The sudden motion of his head caused Gray to drop all the planks he was carrying. _"That was close." _

"HAHAHA! How pathetic! You see that happy?! The ice princess bit off way more than he could chew!" Natsu exclaimed, as he rolled on the ground laughing.

"Oi, you two!" A stern voice called out, getting both and Gray and Natsu's attention. Both mages turned their head to see Erza, now dressed in a construction uniform, with an annoyed look on her face. "If you have time to mess around, get off your asses and start helping! We've got to fix up the guild as quick as possible!"

"Master is even helping!" Mirajane said in a cheery tone, as she gestured to Makarov behind her. Fairy Tail's master was currently in his giant form, and was putting several large wooden planks in place.

"I'm too hungry to work." Natsu complained, his stomach rumbling to prove his point.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get a little hungry too." Gray said, as he plopped down on a stack of wooden planks. Out of nowhere, a blue blur went running past. Looking down, Gray and Natsu were surprised to see bentos in their laps. "Where did these come from?"

"And who left them?" Natsu asked, unwrapping his bento. The pink-haired dragon slayer's mouth began to water when he saw the plethora of delicious looking food. "This looks so good!" Natsu began to eat some of the food, and his eyes widened. "Holy shit! This is really good!"

_"Natsu likes Juvia's cooking!" _Juvia thought, as she watched Natsu scarf down the bento she had left him. A slight blush spread across her face when she saw how enthusiastically he was eating it. _"Does Gray-sama like his?" _

"Are you kidding? I could never eat this." Gray said, pushing the bento away.

"Then can I have it?!" Natsu asked, already finishing his own bento.

"Fine, go ahead!" Gray exclaimed, as he handed the dragon slayer his food.

"Sweet!" Natsu cheered, tearing into the new bento. The dragon slayer stopped inhaling the food momentarily when he felt a strange sensation. "Why do I suddenly want to punch Gray?"

_"Juvia's sad. Gray-sama didn't like her food." _Juvia thought, as she hung her head. _"Juvia woke up extra early to make those." _Juvia peaked around the corner again, and saw that Natsu was eating Gray's portion. _"At least Natsu likes Juvia's food." _

"Natsu...Gray..." A new voice said, getting both mages attention. They were both surprised to see Loke walking towards them. But what really surprised both of them was how weak Loke looked. Natsu's eyes widened when he saw what Loke was carrying. The sunglasses wearing mage was holding up Lucy's celestial spirit keys. "Can you give these...to L-Lucy?"

"Those are Lucy's keys!" Natsu said, as Loke handed them to the dragon slayer. "Man! Luce is gonna be so happy that you found these!"

"Loke...your face. You look really weak man. I haven't seen you for awhile. Have you been looking for these the whole time?" Gray asked, inspecting Loke's exhausted face.

"Yeah...it's tough looking out for the ladies." Loke weakly joked, forcing a smile onto his face.

"We would have helped you if you had asked." Happy said, as he flew up next to Natsu.

"A...Anyway, how's Lucy doing?" Loke asked, deciding to quickly change the subject.

"She's been locked in her room for the past two days." Natsu said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "She still feels down about what happened, and she wants to be left alone right now. She hasn't let anyone but me into her room."

"I see." Loke said, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Well I better go return these." Natsu said, as he held up Lucy's gate keys. "She's been worried sick ever since she lost these."

"I'm going with you, I want to check up on her too." Gray said, shoving his hand in his pocket.

"Fine, but don't get pissy if she won't let you in." Natsu said, as he turned to face Loke. "You should come too Loke. I bet Luce would love to thank the guy who found her keys."

"It's fine Natsu. I've had some bad experiences with celestial spirit mages." Loke said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay then." Natsu said, as he shrugged his shoulders. "Gray you get Erza, and head on ahead to Luce's apartment. I know Erza has been wanting to check up on Lucy."

"When did you become my boss?" Gray asked rhetorically, leaving to get the scarlet-haired knight. When Gray had left, Natsu walked over to a half completed wall. Poking his head around the wall, Natsu wasn't surprised to see Juvia poking her head around the other end of the wall.

"I had a feeling you were here." Natsu's voice caused Juvia to squeak in surprise. The water mage slowly turned around, her face bright red in embarassment. "Why'd you just take off last week Juvia? I didn't even get to say goodbye again."

"Juvia...Juvia didn't want to be a burden. So when Juvia regain consciousness, Juvia snuck out of Phantom Lord's base." Juvia explained, poking her finger together. "A-Also...Juvia didn't want to have to say goodbye."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm not mad or anything." Natsu said, as he placed a hand on Juvia's shoulder. "So what are you doing here? You come to join Fairy Tail?"

"N-No..." Juvia replied, as her face began to a darker shade of red. "Juvia...Juvia just wanted to see Gray-sama again?"

"Gray...sama?" Natsu repeated with a confused look on his face. "If you want to see Gray so bad, I can go get him for-"

"No!" Juvia shouted, her eyes widening. "Juvia...Juvia isn't ready to face Gray-sama yet!"

"What's up with this Gray-sama stuff all of a sudden?" Natsu asked, confused now more than ever. "Jeez, it's almost as if you love the guy." However, Natsu stopped when he saw Juvia's blush become even darker. "Wait...you do like Gray?"

"Juvia...Juvia...does like Gray-sama...she wants to try and win his heart." Juvia said, causing Natsu's heart to sink.

"Oh..." Natsu said, his eyes filling with sadness.

_"You cannot force her to love you." _

_"If she wants to pursue __another, you must let her." _

_"All you can do is he patient, and try to win her heart."_

_"Good things come to those who wait." _

"Well then...good luck winning ice princess over." Natsu said, as he forced a large smile on his face. The pink-haired dragon slayer pulled Juvia into a tight hug, before he started running down the street. "Well see you later Juvia! I have to give something to Lucy!"

"Natsu..." Juvia said, clutching a hand over her heart. The sad look in the dragon slayer's eyes wasn't missed by the water mage.

_"If she wants to be with Gray, I'll let her. I won't force her to love me." _Natsu thought, as he made a beeline for Lucy's apartment. The dragon slayer could feel tears stinging the corners of his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. _"Damn it Gray! You better treat her right!" _

* * *

(Five Minutes Later; Lucy's Apartment)

"Luce! How is it going!" Natsu said, climbing in through Lucy's window. The pink-haired dragon was hoping to see his mate, so that he could take his mind off Juvia. But when Natsu entered Lucy's apartment, he found it empty except for Gray and Erza. "Is Luce not here?" As Natsu walked towards his nakama, he noticed a pile of letters scattered on the floor. Picking one up, Natsu quickly scanned through the letter. _"It's a letter to Luce's mom..." _ Looking up, Natsu was surprised to see that Erza had a particular note in her hand. The scarlet-haired knight's fingers digging into the paper. "Hey, what's up Erza?"

"This note." Erza replied, as she handed Natsu the small piece of paper. "Lucy says she's heading home."

"Huh?" Natsu said, taking the short note from Erza's hand. The note simply read 'I'm heading home.' Natsu's brow furrowed as he read the note over several times.

"She must still feel responsible." Happy said, as he landed on Natsu's head.

"What the hell is she thinking?" Gray said, tightly clenching his fists. "We have to go after her! To her home, and bring her back!"

"I agree with Gray." Erza said, as she nodded her head. "We can't let Lucy leave."

"You guys are overreacting." Natsu said, crumbling up the letter and tossing it away. Erza and Gray's shot open, as they watched Natsu relax in one of Lucy's chairs.

"Natsu! How are you not freaking out right now?!" Gray exclaimed, as he stormed over to the dragon slayer. "You basically attacked the magical council when they arrested Erza! And that was only a formality!"

"Yeah, I half expected you to be running after as soon as you read that letter." Erza said, narrowing her eyes at Natsu. "What's going on?"

"I bet it's Macao again. Natsu used him to trick us when the magical council arrested you." Gray said, as he suddenly slapped Natsu across the face. But to Gray's surprise instead of Macao there was a pissed off dragon slayer.

"Fuck you ice princess!" Natsu roared, punching Gray in the face. The pink-haired dragon slayer huffed, and rubbed his red cheek. "Now, do you both really think Luce would just run off like that? I bet she's going to tell off her dad, and then she'll come right back."

"I...didn't think of that. Wow, that actually makes a lot of sense." Erza said, as she leaned against a wall. "So what do we do?"

"Well we should still go after her." Natsu said, causing Erza to quirk a scarlet eyebrow. "We may not need to drag her back, but Luce is still gonna need our support once this over. So I want to be there right after she finishes things with her father." Natsu stood up from the chair he was sitting in, and walked back over to the window. "Gather your things, I'll meet you guys at the train station in a half-hour." Seeing Erza nod, Natsu jumped to the street below. _"Besides, I have to give Lucy's dad a piece of my mind too." _

* * *

**And done! The Phantom Lord arc is now technically over! Next chapter will have Lucy confront her father, hopefully the NaLu lemon, and all the stuff regarding Loke being a celestial spirit. Then after that we can get into the Tower of Heaven arc, and some NatZa goodness. I know some of you are confused as to why Erza isn't the first mate, and that will be explained in the Tower of Heaven arc. So you won't have to wait too long. Sadly, this is the last quick update chapter, so you'll have to wait a little while for the next chapter. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Let me know! Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW, I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK, and PM me any ideas you might have for any of my fics. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	21. Chapter 21 Natsu's First Mate

**Hello my faithful readers! I'm finally back with another chapter for this fic! Like usual I plan to write two to three back-to-back chapters for this fic, so look forward to that! Well this fic already passed 1,000 followers! That's fucking amazing! This is definitely my fastest growing fic, and I'm so happy that it's already broken 1,000 followers. So I wanted to thank you all for your patience and support of this fic, you're all awesome! I know this is a chapter many of you have been anticipating. In this chapter Lucy will confront her father, we'll have the NaLu lemon, and the after effects of Lucy mating with Natsu. But after this chapter I do plan to skip the part with Team Natsu doing that stupid little play, don't feel the need to do an entire section on that. Also, have any of you been keeping up with the manga lately?! Shit is starting to get really intense! That whole part with Dimaria, Wendy, Sherria, and Ultear was fucking awesome! Then the awesome NaLu tag team against Jacob in the latest chapter was awesome! Can't wait to see where that fight goes next chapter! So with all of that out of the way, let's get to the fic. **

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still in Hiro Mashima's capable hands. **

* * *

(The Next Day; Heartfilia Manor)

_"I was hoping I would never have to come back here." _Lucy thought, releasing a light sigh. The blonde celestial spirit mage calmed her racing heart, as she walked up the pathway leading up to her old home. Lucy was hoping to get into the manor without causing a fuss. But the busty blonde hadn't even made it halfway up the walkway before she was noticed.

"O-OH! Is that you Lucy!?" A maid yelled, which caused the rest of servants to come running over.

"Say what?!"

"Is it really her?!"

"No way! She's back!"

"Lucy *sniff* thank heavens you're safe." The made said, as a few tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Spetto." Lucy said in an apologetic tone, rubbing the back of her head. The blonde grunted when she felt Spetto suddenly hug her tightly. "It's okay, Spetto. See? I'm totally fine."

"Look Lucy!" An elderly servant said, as he handed Lucy a small stack of books. "These books come all the way from the Alvarez Empire in the west!"

"Please tell me you haven't been neglecting your studies!" Another older servant said, but this man definitely had the appearance of a mage. "Celestial Spirit magic requires a large amount of trust and love..."

"Of course I've kept up my studies! I've been working very hard!" Lucy said in a cheery tone, a bright smile on her face. "I don't want to let mom down. I became a celestial spirit mage because of her."

Lucy was soon surrounded by a large group of people. All of them excited to see her, and asking her various questions. The blonde celestial spirit mage smiled awkwardly as she tried her best to answer the barrage of questions.

"Where have you been the past year?!"

"Uh...you know just traveling around and sightseeing."

"Did you meet any new people?! Make any new friends?!"

"Of course."

"Were you ever in any danger."

"Not really. There was a few close calls, but I was never in any real danger."

"Did you meet any boys? Maybe go on a few dates?"

"Um...I g-guess you could say that I have a boyfriend." Lucy said in a quiet tone, as her face burned bright red. But Lucy had spoken so softly that most of the people around her hand't heard a thing she said. However, before someone could ask Lucy to repeat herself she was saved by the house's chef.

"Well she's at that age y'know..." The chef said, giving Lucy a quick wink. "A girl as smart and beautiful as her...of course she's had a man or two visit her."

_"Heh, they never change..." _Lucy thought with a wistful smile.

"Lucy-sama, your father has asked to see you in the main study immidiately!" A servant called out, as he ran up to Lucy.

_"Tch, even after running away for a year it's still 'I'll be waiting in my room.' What a surprise." _Lucy thought, releasing a heavy sigh. _"Dad hasn't changed at all either."_

"Come, come!" Spetto cheered, as she began to push Lucy towards the manor. "We can't have you seeing your father is these rags!"

"Oi, these aren't rags!" Lucy exclaimed in a somewhat offended tone. _"Natsu bought these clothes for me. It was the first gift he ever gave me as his girlfriend." _Letting out another sigh, Lucy allowed herself to be lead into the mansion. _"There's no point in arguing, because they won't take no for an answer...and they wouldn't understand anyways." _

* * *

(Ten Minutes Later)

_"Did I really have to wear __something this frilly?" _Lucy thought, gazing down at the elegant pink dress she had been practically shoved into. However, she couldn't stop the sad smile that spread across her face. It was her mother's favorite dress after all. _"I always wanted to wear this dress when I was a kid. Mom always looked so beautiful when she wore this." _Taking a calming breath, Lucy pushed open the doors to her father's office. "Hello...father."

"I'm glad you've come to your senses and returned home..." Jude said, as he turned to face his daughter. "Lucy."

"I apologize for leaving without a word." Lucy said, bowing to her father. "I should have told someone before I left. I worried you all unnecessarily."

"You shouldn't have left in the first place." Jude said, his voice harsh and stern. "*Sigh* But you've made a wise decision. If you had stayed in that filthy guild any longer, I would have use my vast wealth to destroy it."

_"You bastard..." _Lucy angrily thought, as she tightly clenched her fists. _"I won't let you lay a finger on my nakama." _

"It seems you've finally grown up, Lucy." Jude said, causing Lucy to hand her head. "You've learned a very important lesson in just how destructive your selfishness can be."

_"You're the one being selfish here." _Lucy thought, as she bit her tongue so that she wouldn't start screaming at her father. _"Using your fucking money to hurt me and my friends. You probably don't even care that I was almost killed by one of Phantom Lord's members. And all of this is because you wouldn't let me follow my own __path in life."_

"You are a daughter of the Heartfilia family. You in a different life than those filthy mages." Jude said, causing Lucy to grit her teeth in anger. "The reason I called you back, is because I found you a suitor. He is prince Sawarr, of the Junelle family. You've met him a few times before. He always expressed great interest you."

"Yes...I remember him." Lucy said, as she remembered the disgusting man. The celestial spirit mage was revolted at the thought of meeting that slob again. _"I'd rather die than marry that pig." _

"By marrying into the Junelle family, the Heartfilia railroads will be able to expand farther into the South." Jude said, turning to gaze out the window. "This marriage is very valuable to the future of the Heartfilia family. And you must give birth to a son to carry on our name...That's all, you can return to your room now."

"Father..." Lucy said, as she raised her head. The celestial spirit mage's brown eyes were filled with defiance. "I'm not doing any of that! The reason I came back here was to make one thing absolutely clear! I know it was wrong of me to run away without telling anyone. That's why I came all the way here to personally express my feelings!" Lucy took a deep breath to prepare herself for what she was about to say. "I'm leaving this house, for good!"

"Lucy?" Jude breathed out, his eyes slowly widening.

"I WILL walk my OWN path!" Lucy exclaimed, as she glared at her father. "You have absolutely no right to decide who I marry! Especially when I'm already in love with the greatest guy in the world! And don't you ever even think of laying a finger on Fairy Tail again!" Lucy suddenly gripped the front of her pink dress. _"Sorry about this mom." _With a sudden violent motion, Lucy ripped open the dress she was wearing. "The next time you even try to hurt Fairy Tail, I...no, the entire guild will consider you an enemy! And we destroy our enemies! If you hadn't sent Phantom Lord after me, we could have continued this conversation civilly! But it's far too late! You've caused too much harm to my nakama! I don't give a shit about money or expensive clothes! I want a place where I can be loved and respected as Lucy, not Lucy Heartfilia the heiress to the Heartfilia fortune!" Lucy raised her right hand, proudly showing off her Fairy Tail guild mark. "Fairy Tail is my home now!" Jude simply stood in stunned silence as Lucy continued her speech. However, when Lucy next spoke her voice had lost its angry edge. "I admit, because of my memories with mother it was painful for me to leave this house. Ms. Spetto, Grandpa Belo, Libon, and Eido...it was difficult to leave them as well. But...if mother was still alive, I know she'd tell me to follow my own path." Giving her father a sad smile, Lucy turned and began to walk out of the office. "Farewell, father."

When Lucy was out of the office, Jude slumped into the chair beside him and put his head in his hands.

* * *

(Twenty Minutes Later; Layla Heartfilia's Grave)

"Hey mom, it's been a while since I visited you in person." Lucy said, placing a bouquet of flowers on her mother's grave. Layla Heartfilia's grave was large and elegant; featuring an angel statue to watch over the grave. "I finally spoke with father, and I've made my decision. I'm really going to follow my own path, and I'm going to live my life to the fullest." Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a strong hand squeeze her shoulder. The busty blonde whipped around to see Natsu smiling at her. Behind the dragon slayer stood Erza and Gray, with Happy flying overhead.

"I'm proud of you Luce." Natsu said, as he pulled Lucy in for a tight hug. "I knew you could stand up to your father." The pink-haired dragon slayer leaned forward and whispered into Lucy's ear. "But maybe next time let me know before you do something like this. Can't have my princess running off and getting herself in trouble."

"Don't worry Natsu, I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon." Lucy whispered, returning Natsu's embrace.

"LUCY!" Happy cried, as he crashed into the blonde. The blue cat buried his head into Lucy's chest; tears falling from his eyes. "I was so scared you were leaving us!"

"Oh, don't be silly Happy. There's no way I could leave you guys, or Fairy Tail." Lucy said, hugging the blue cat closer. The blonde celestial spirit mage gave Natsu a small smile. "I have too many reasons to stay."

"So this is your mother's grave?" Erza asked, as she crouched down to read the inscription on the tombstone. "I'm sorry for your loss, Lucy."

"Don't be sorry Erza." Lucy replied, a sad smile on her face. "She died when I was little, but I really loved her. My memories of my mother are the only reason I hesitated leaving this place."

"Man, looks like I got all worked up over nothing." Gray said, as he placed his hands behind his head. "I should have know Lucy wouldn't just up and leave like that...So we ready to head back?"

"Sure, I'm ready to go now." Lucy said, slinging her bag over shoulder.

"I gotta say this town is pretty freaking huge." Gray said, as he gazed over the rolling hills before him.

"Ah well...this whole are is just our garden." Lucy explained, giggling in embarassment. The blonde raised her hand, and pointed to the mountain range way off on the horizon. "My family actually owns the land all the way up to the mountains in the distance." While Erza and Gray stood dumbfounded by what Lucy had just told them, Natsu still stood in front of Layla's grave. The dual dragon slayer crouched down and gently ran his hand over the tombstone.

"Don't worry..." Natsu leaned forward to better read the name on the grave. "Layla...I promise I'll take real good care of Lucy, and I always keep my promises. I'll do everything I can to make sure she's always smiling, and I'll give my life to keep her safe. So you don't have to worry about her anymore, just watch over her." Suddenly a gentle breeze blew past, causing a smile to spread across Natsu's face. "Thank you." The pink-haired dragon slayer turned to look at the manor behind him. "Just one more thing to take care of."

* * *

(Two Hours Later; Train Heading Back to Magnolia)

"Hey Erza, Gray have you seen Natsu or Happy anywhere?" Lucy asked, as she sat next to the scarlet haired knight. "Because I haven't seen him a while."

"Yes...that is strange." Erza said, rubbing her chin. "He was laying his head on my lap, then out of nowhere he said he needed some fresh air. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but he's been gone almost a half hour."

"You know, ash for brains was acting funny ever since we left Lucy's old home." Gray said, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wait..." Erza said, her eyes widening as realization struck her. "You said Happy was missing too? You don't think Natsu flew off somewhere?"

"Oh no!" Lucy exclaimed, as she cupped her hands over her mouth. "He probably went back for my dad!"

"Damn him!" Erza yelled, slamming her fist onto the armrest; causing it to snap in half. "Why does he always do this!?"

"Well, there's nothing we can do." Gray said, as he shut his eyes. "We'll just have to wait for him to get back once we get back to Magnolia."

"Tch, you're right." Erza said, deflating in her seat. "He's get a nice scolding when I next see him."

_"Natsu..." _Lucy thought, as she stared out the window next to her. _"Please don't do anything too rash. I may hate my father right now, but I don't want you to hurt him." _

* * *

(Same Time; Heartfilia Manor)

_"Damn that girl..." _Jude thought, trying his his hardest to focus on the paperwork he was filling out. _"I was just trying to do what was best for the family. The company really needs the boost that the Junelle family could have provided...But all those things she said...She even said she's already found a lover...Layla...what would-" _Jude's thoughts were cut off by a sudden knocking at his door. "I do not wish to be disturbed! So please leave!" The knocking continued, but this time more aggressive. "Did you not hear me!? Go away!" Whoever was at the door was now pounding on it. "GO! AWAY!" Jude nearly jumped out of his chair when the door was suddenly kicked off it's hinges. The Heartfilia patriarch growled in anger when he saw a pink-haired man enter his office. "My door! What the hell is your problem!? Who the hell are you?!"

"The name's Natsu Dragneel." Natsu said in an angry tone, as he slammed his hands onto Jude's desk. "I'm here to tell you to stay the hell away from Lucy."

"Oh, I see..." Jude said, spotting the Fairy Tail emblem on Natsu's shoulder. "You're one of the Fairy Tail bumpkins, here to threaten me. Well listen here 'Natsu' you're going to leave my office right now, and I'm going to bill your guild for a new door. If you don't leave, I'll make you and your guildmate's lives a living hell."

"You're the one who needs to listen." Natsu growled, as he tightened his grip on the desk. Jude flinched when the wood underneath Natsu's grasp cracked and splintered. "I'm not here as a Fairy Tail mage! I'm here as Lucy's mate! Now I'm only going to repeat myself one more time!" Natsu's hands suddenly became engulfed in flames; lighting the edge of Jude's desk on fire. "You're going to stay the FUCK away from Lucy for a while! And you're going to leave Fairy Tail alone, forever! If I so much as think you're going to try and take Lucy again, I'll come back here and burn this place to the ground...with you inside." Giving Jude one last glare, Natsu began to walk out of the office.

"M-Mate? What are you? Some kind of animal?" Jude asked, quickly attempting to put out the flames on his desk.

"An animal? No..." Natsu replied, as he turned his head to glare at Jude once again. "I'm a dragon, and we don't take kindly to people hurting our loved ones. Don't make me have to come back here." With those final words Natsu left the office, leaving a trembling Jude to digest what he had just heard.

* * *

(That Night; Magnolia)

"*Sigh* Finally back home." Natsu said, stretching out his tired limbs. The dragon slayer was by himself, because Happy had flown on ahead. The blue cat had been complaining about having to carry Natsu, so he decided to give Happy a break and walk the rest of the way. As Natsu walked through Magnolia's empty streets, he unconsciously started making his way towards Lucy's home. Before he knew it, Natsu was standing in front of Lucy's apartment. Seeing that the lights were still on, Natsu climbed up to Lucy's window. The dragon slayer peeked inside the apartment, and saw that Lucy was asleep at her writing desk. Smiling softly, Natsu quietly opened the window and hopped into Lucy's apartment. Natsu walked over to Lucy and gently picked her up bridal style; the blonde snuggling closer to Natsu. The dual dragon slayer laid Lucy down on her bed, and tucked her underneath the covers. After placing a kiss on Lucy's head, Natsu turned to leave the apartment. But Natsu was stopped when he felt something tugging on his vest. Natsu turned back around to see that Lucy was now awake, and staring up at him. "Sorry for waking you, Luce."

"Don't leave." Lucy said, as a faint blush spread across her face. "I want you to stay here tonight."

"A-Are you sure, Luce? I don't want to be a bother." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm sure." Lucy said, as she patted the open spot on the bed next to her. "So please, don't go."

"I can never say no to you." Natsu said with a smile, crawling into the bed next to Lucy. As soon as Natsu was under the covers, Lucy immidiately hugged him close. "You okay, Luce? You're acting kinda weird."

"Did you do anything to my father?" Lucy asked, which caused Natsu's eyes to widen momentarily.

"So you figured out that's where I went..." Natsu said, scratching his cheek. But the look Lucy was giving told Natsu that he couldn't dance around this question. "No, I didn't do anything to your dad. All I did was give him a warning."

"A warning?" Lucy repeated, as she quirked a blonde eyebrow.

"I told him not to mess with my girl or my guild ever again." Natsu said, smiling down at Lucy. The dragon slayer smirked when he saw Lucy's face darken several shades. The blonde quickly turned her head away to hide her massive blush. _"God, she's so adorable when she's __embarrassed." _Natsu smiled and pulled Lucy even closer. "Don't worry Luce, I won't let anyone take you away from Fairy Tail. Because this is where you belong, surrounded by the people who love you. I'll always protect you Luce, and be by your side whenever you need me."

"Natsu..." Lucy breathed out, as she locked eyes with Natsu. The blonde's eyes were full of love, as a few stray tears fell down her cheeks. "I love you."

_"Now is the perfect time."_

_"She is ready and so are you."_

_"Claim_ her."

"I love you too, Luce." Natsu said, leaning forward to capture Lucy's lips in a passionate kiss. But this kiss was different from all their others. This kiss was full of lust and desire. The kiss quickly became more heated, and Natsu soon found himself on top of Lucy; her full breasts pressing against his chest. Natsu's tongue battled with Lucy's as both mages let their lust take over. When Natsu and Lucy broke for air, they were blushing fiercely and slightly panting.

"Natsu...I want you." Lucy said, as she ran her hand down Natsu's cheek. "I'm ready if you are."

"Are you sure Luce? There's no going back once we do this." Natsu said, wanting to give Lucy a chance to back out.

"You're sweet for asking." Lucy said, as she leaned forward and kissed Natsu. The blonde gently pushed Natsu backwards so that she was straddling his hips. "But I want to do this with you Natsu. I love you, so I want you to claim me." A lustful smirk spread across Lucy's face when she felt Natsu's erection pressing against her ass. "And it looks like your little dragon is ready to go too."

"Alright Luce, you asked for it." Natsu said, a lustful grin on his face.

"Well then..." Lucy said with half-lidded eyes, as she beckoned Natsu closer with her index finger. "Come and get me Natsu, I'm all yours."

_"Holy shit, I love Luce's sexy side!" _Natsu thoughts, practically pouncing the busty blonde. The pink-haired dragon slayer captured Lucy's lips in a fiery kiss, eliciting a moan from the blonde mage. However, as Natsu kissed Lucy he ran into a problem. _"What do I do now? This is my first time ever doing something like this." _

_"Just let your instincts take over."_

_"Don't think, just do what you think is right." _

_"Okay, I guess I'll wing it." _Natsu thought, as he ran his hands up Lucy's sides. The dragon slayer's warm and tingling hands caused Lucy to moan into their kiss. Deciding to test the waters, Natsu's hands slowly snaked up to cup the bottom of Lucy's massive breasts. When Lucy didn't protest, Natsu gave the large orbs of flesh a quick squeeze. Lucy immidiately broke their kiss to let out a loud moan. Thinking that he had hurt her, Natsu immidiately stopped what he was doing. "You okay, Luce?"

"W-Why'd you stop?" Lucy panted out, seeing the concerned look in Natsu's eyes. The blonde smiled as she reaching down to unzip her white and blue shirt. "You didn't hurt me Natsu. In fact that felt amazing." Natsu eyes shot open when Lucy shrugged off her shirt and threw it across the room. The dragon slayer's jaw hung open as Lucy reached behind her back and unhooked her lacy blue bra. "Your hands feel amazing Natsu, and I want to feel them all over my body." With a teasing smile, Lucy took off her bra and dropped it on the floor.

Natsu couldn't believe what he was seeing. Lucy's bare tits were barely a foot away from his face! Natsu was positive that Lucy's breasts broke some law of physics. Despite their massive size, Lucy's breasts didn't show any hints of sagging. They were perfectly round, and jiggled slightly with each breath Lucy took. The busty blonde's nipples were also fully erect, showing that she really was turned right now. Natsu didn't know what to do, his mind seemed to shut down as he stared at Lucy's boobs. But then Lucy said something that caused Natsu's heart to skip a beat.

"Go ahead Natsu..." Lucy whispered hotly into Natsu's ear. Her lustful tone caused a shiver to run down Natsu's spine. "Touch them."

It was probably the greatest thing Natsu had ever heard. Now knowing that he had full permission, Natsu reached forward and cupped one of Lucy's breasts in each hand. Natsu couldn't believe how soft the large orbs of flesh were. With each squeeze, Lucy's breasts would mold around Natsu's fingers. The pink-haired dragon slayer had a field day with Lucy's tits; groping the massive mounds of flesh and pinching the blonde's erect nipples. Deciding to be a little more adventurous, Natsu took one of Lucy's breasts into his mouth, sucking on the erect nipple and swirling his tongue around the nub. While Natsu's mouth occupied one tit, his hand massaged and kneaded the other. Natsu's ministrations were turning Lucy into a moaning mess. The blonde celestial spirit mage couldn't focus on anything except the pleasure she was feeling. Another low moan escaped Lucy's lips, as she felt herself starting to get wet. As Natsu continued to grope Lucy's breasts an intoxicating scent suddenly hit his nose. It was the same scent from his day dream. The smell overwhelmed Natsu's senses, and made him even more horny. The dragon slayer released Lucy's breasts and descended lower down her body.

"N-Natsu? What are you doooooooo-" Lucy moaned loudly when Natsu began to massage her womanhood through her panties.

"I can smell you Luce." Natsu said in a husky tone, as he leaned closer to the blonde; his face only a few inches away from her's. The dragon slayer continued to rub Lucy's pussy as he spoke. Lucy began to pant slightly as Natsu slid off her skirt. "You're really turned on right now, aren't you?"

"Fuck yes! I want you so bad right now!" Lucy screamed, feeling a warm sensation building in the pit of her stomach. However, Lucy suddenly felt a strange burning heat, then she could faintly smell smoke. Looking down, Lucy squeaked when she saw that she was not completely naked; a small pile of ash was all that remained of her lacy blue panties. "Natsu! That was my favorite pair!"

"Don't worry..." Natsu said, as he locked eyes with Lucy. The lust in the dragon slayer's eyes caused Lucy to shiver in anticipation. "I'll buy you another pair later." Before Lucy had a chance to speak, Natsu attacked her now exposed pussy. Natsu's tongue delved into Lucy's wet folds. The dragon slayer followed his instincts and did whatever he felt was right, and judging from the lewd moans escaping Lucy's lips Natsu knew he was doing a pretty good job for his first time.

"Oh my God! Natsu! How are you so good at this!?" Lucy screamed, arching her back slightly off the bed.

While Natsu's burning tongue probed her womanhood, Lucy was a writhing and squirming mess. Sweat formed on Lucy's brow as she bit her bottom lip to hold in her moans of ecstasy. Lucy had no idea how Natsu was doing it, but the dragon slayer seemed to be hitting all of her sweet spots. She could feel the burning sensation building up in the pit of her stomach once again. Lucy knew that her orgasm was rapidly approaching, but she still needed one last push to go over the edge. As Natsu lavished in the taste of Lucy's juices, he spotted a small nub of flesh. Reaching out, Natsu gave the nub a quick squeeze. What Natsu didn't know was that he had just pinched Lucy's clitoris, and that was the push she needed to experience her orgasm. Lucy let out a scream of pure pleasure as her orgasm rocked her whole body.

"H-Holy shit...I've never came that h-hard..." Lucy panted out, as she to catch her breath.

"Damn, you taste good Luce." Natsu said, licking Lucy's juices of his lips.

"Well..." Lucy said, as she sat up and gently pushing Natsu back onto her bed. "I think it's my turn to return the favor. Now let's get your clothes off, because it's not fair that I'm the only one naked right now." Natsu had never thrown off his clothes so fast in his entire life, but when he reached for his boxers Lucy stopped him. "No, let me do those." With a lustful smirk on her face, Lucy ran her hand over the impressive bulge in Natsu's boxers, causing the dragon slayer to let out a low moan. Tugging on the waistband, Lucy suddenly yanked off Natsu's boxers, which freed his trapped dragon. Lucy gasped when she saw Natsu's bare cock. The blonde had seen several male genitalia before in the more risqué magazines she had seen after she ran away from home, and the erotic novels she had read gave her a pretty good idea of what to expect. But Natsu blew all of those expectations out of the water. If Lucy had to guesstimate, she'd say the dragon slayer's manhood stood erect at around ten inches. _"How does he walk around with that thing between his legs? Well here goes nothing."_

Slowly reaching out, Lucy gently gripped Natsu's shaft. Much like the rest of his skin, Natsu's cock was hot to the touch and sent pleasurable electric tingles throughout Lucy's body. Natsu groaned in pleasure and leaned his head back, as Lucy slowly massaged his cock with her soft hands. Lucy's face was burning in both embarassment and arousal as she stroked the pink-haired dragon slayer's manhood. Once Lucy was sure Natsu was fully erect, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Natsu was throughly enjoying Lucy's handjob, but he almost yelped when he felt something incredibly warm and wet wrap around his manhood. Looking down, Natsu's eyes nearly bugged out when he saw that Lucy had his cock in her mouth.

"Fuck Luce!" Natsu moaned out, gently grabbing ahold of Lucy's long blonde hair. "Where did you learn how to do this?!"

Lucy slowly bobbed her head up and down on Natsu's manhood, taking as much of it into her mouth as she could. Whatever her mouth couldn't reach she stroked with one of her free hands. Lucy wasn't experienced in performing fellatio, but she tried her best and used the information she had gained from the magazines and smutty books she had read. Remembering a passage from one of her books, Lucy swirled her tongue around the head of Natsu's cock and used her other hand to massage his balls. Lucy continued to suck Natsu's manhood, trying to take more of it in each time she bobbed her head. But every time Lucy tried to get further down Natsu's cock her gag reflexes would kick in. After several attempts the busty blonde gave up, and opted to practice and try again another time. Natsu suddenly began to slightly buck his hips, as Lucy felt his cock start to twitch. Knowing what was about to come, Lucy began to bob her head faster.

"I'm cumming!" Natsu yelled, as he grabbed ahold of Lucy's head to hold her in place. Lucy's eyes widened when Natsu's hot seed began to fill her mouth. The busty blonde managed to swallow all of it despite the large amount. The dragon slayer was panting slightly as he released Lucy's head. "Damn Luce that was amazing!"

"Mmmm, not bad." Lucy said with a seductive smile, licking the excess cum of her lips. "I wouldn't mind tasting that again. But now..." Lucy's eyes were full of lust and need as she slowly crawled up Natsu's body; rubbing her dripping womanhood against Natsu's still erect penis. "It's time we get to the main event."

"You're still absolutely sure about this, Luce? I don't mind waiting until you're fully ready." Natsu said, wanting to give Lucy one last chance.

"Again, you're sweet for asking." Lucy said, as she leaned forward and gently kissed Natsu on the lips. "But my answer is still the same. I want this Natsu. I want to be one with you. I want you to claim me."

"Okay, then your wish is my command." Natsu said, smiling up at the blonde.

"Here I go..." Lucy said, as she grabbed ahold of Natsu's manhood. The busty blonde lined Natsu's cock up with her pussy, and slowly began to drop down. Both mages hissed as more and more of Natsu entered Lucy. The dragon slayer was shocked at how tight the celestial spirit mage was, while Lucy was amazed at how much Natsu stretched and filled her. After about a minute, Lucy had fully impaled herself on Natsu's manhood. Lucy had always heard how a girl's first time was a painful experience. But Lucy was surprised when she didn't feel much pain, just some discomfort due to Natsu's size.

"You okay, Luce?" Natsu asked in a concerned tone, seeing the look on Lucy's face. "I know it's supposed to hurt the first time for a girl."

"I'm fine, Natsu..." Lucy replied, as she wriggled her hips a little to get more comfortable, which in turn caused the dragon slayer to moan slightly at the sudden motion. "It's weird, but I don't really feel any pain. Just give me a few minutes to get used to you." Natsu nodded his head and smiled at the busty blonde. Lucy returned Natsu's smile and laid her head against his chest while she waited. A few minutes later Lucy experimentally rolled her hips. Instead of discomfort, pleasure shot through Lucy's body, causing her to release a soft moan. "You can start moving now, Natsu."

"I'm gonna start then..." Natsu said, slowly pulling out of Lucy. Both mages moaned at the movement. When Natsu was about halfway out, he thrust back in. Natsu had to hold himself back from violently pounding into the blonde. His instincts told him to throw Lucy down onto the bed and ravish her, to make her scream his name in pleasure. But this was Lucy's first time, and Natsu knew he had to take it easy for now. He would have her screaming his name in due time. Until then he had to keep the dragon inside him caged. "Fuck...you're so tight Luce."

"Shit...this feels amazing, Natsu!" Lucy moaned loudly, as she began to rock her hips in time with Natsu's thrusts. Soon both mages had found a steady and pleasurable rhythm. As Lucy slowly bounced up and down, Natsu reached up and grabbed the busty blonde's jiggling breasts. Lucy moaned in pleasure as Natsu's warm hands massaged her breasts. The busty blonde enjoyed the slow and filling tempo they had going, but she wanted to experience everything the dragon slayer had to offer. "Ah! Natsu! Harder! Faster! Please!"

Lucy's moans spired Natsu to pick up the pace. He grabbed ahold of Lucy's hips and began to pound into her wet pussy faster. Lucy howled in ecstasy as her pleasure shot through the roof. As Natsu continued to pound into her, Lucy leaned forward and pulled Natsu in for a fiery kiss. Both mages moaned as their tongues began to battle for dominance. However, Lucy squeaked in surprised when she felt Natsu suddenly pick her up. Moments later, Lucy felt her back hit the bed as Natsu loomed over her. With a lustful smirk the dragon slayer once again started to rapidly thrust piston in and out of Lucy. The busty blonde let out a loud moan, because of the pleasure the new position offered.

"Fuck! Natsu you're amazing!" Lucy screamed, arching her back off the bed. Natsu leaned his head forward and began to suck on one of Lucy's erect nipples, as he continued to make love to the blonde mage. "Shit! I'm getting so close Natsu!"

"I'm almost there too, Luce!" Natsu grunted out after giving Lucy's nipple a quick bite. The blonde's large breasts were now red from Natsu's near constant groping. The dragon slayer could feel a familiar sensation as he felt his own orgasm quickly approaching. After a few more minutes of intense pounding, Natsu was finally at his limit. "Fuck! Where do you want it Luce?!"

"Inside! I want to feel it all inside me!" Lucy exclaimed, as she went over the edge into her second orgasm of their lovemaking session.

_"Now is the time!" _

_"You must mark her now!"_

_"Claim her!" _

Right as Natsu began to release his seed into Lucy, he bit down into the crook of her neck; pumping some of his magic into her. The blonde screamed in a mixture of pain and pleasure as the bite only seemed to enhance her own orgasm. A few moments later, Natsu released Lucy's neck and slowly pulled out of her; a mixture of both their sexual juices following after him. The dragon slayer plopped down onto the bed, with Lucy laying down next to him. Both mages were panting slightly as Lucy drew lazy circles on Natsu's muscular chest.

"Holy shit...that was amazing Luce." Natsu said, turning to flash the busty blonde a wide grin.

"Yes...it really was fantastic Natsu..." Lucy said, as a lustful smirk spread across her face. Natsu quirked an eyebrow when he felt one of Lucy's hand snake down his body. Then the dragon slayer moaned as Lucy began to stroke his cock back to life. Lucy then rolled on top of Natsu once again. "In fact...I want to do it again...if you're up to my dragon."

Natsu growled slightly when he saw the pure lust in Lucy's half-lidded eyes. The blonde began giggle when Natsu lunged forward and began to kiss her neck. It was time for him to release his inner dragon.

* * *

(The Next Morning)

With a soft yawn, Lucy awoke from her peaceful slumber. The blonde smiled when she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She turned her head slightly to see that Natsu was still fast asleep. Plating a quick kiss on Natsu's cheek, Lucy gently removed his arm and made her way to the bathroom. Lucy flicked on the bathroom light and began to stepped into the shower. She was a little sore from their long night of lovemaking, especially after their first time. Natsu seemed to turn into a complete beast after that. The numerous bite marks and soreness between her legs were a testament to that. Stepping out of the shower, Lucy wrapped a towel around herself and went to brush her teeth. But when the blonde looked in the mirror she gasped. Lucy quickly rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But nothing seemed to change. Lucy couldn't believe her eyes, as she ran her hands through her long hair. Instead of pure blonde hair, Lucy's normally blonde locks now sported several streaks of pink hair, similar in color to Natsu's.

"Natsu! Get in here now!" Lucy screamed, which caused the dragon slayer to spring out of bed and sprint to the bathroom.

"What's wrong, Luce?!" Natsu exclaimed, as he burst through the bathroom door.

"This!" Lucy yelled, tugging on a few of her new pink locks. "What happened to my hair?!"

"I must of happened because I claimed you." Natsu reasoned, as he walked up to Lucy. "I guess it's to show people that you're my mate."

"Don't get me wrong Natsu, I want to be your mate and I do love you. But...I didn't want people to know just yet...especially Erza." Lucy said, turning back to look in the mirror. The blonde released a light sigh as she stared at her new pink hair. "It's so obvious now, there's no way I can hide this."

"Don't worry about it Luce." Natsu said, as he wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist and kissed her neck. "I'll handle letting people in the guild know, and I'll deal with Erza when the time comes. I love her and want her to join us too."

"Heh, it feels kinda weird to hear you say you love another woman." Lucy said with a small smile. "But it's something I'll have to get used to." Lucy reached down and placed her hands on top of Natsu's. "But I know that you love me too, and that's all that matters to me. You have a big heart Natsu Dragneel, so I know you'll make time for all of your girls."

"I knew you'd understand, Luce." Natsu said, kissing the top of Lucy's head. However, something on Lucy's neck caught Natsu's eye. "Hey Luce...when did you get a tattoo?"

"Huh?" Lucy said, as she turned so that she could look at her neck in the mirror. The blonde's eyes shot open when she saw what appeared to be a tattoo on the crook of her neck, right where Natsu had originally bit her. The mark sported a red dragon encased in orange flames with little sparks of lightning scattered amongst the flames. Something Mirajane had said flashed through Lucy's mind. This must have been the mate mark she was talking about. "*Sigh* Great...there's really no hiding it now."

* * *

**And done! Well Natsu and Lucy have finally sealed the deal. Lucy is officially Natsu's first mate, and she has some interesting marks to showcase her night with Natsu. I hope you all enjoyed this story's first lemon. I believe I got the idea for Lucy's hair changing from a fic I read awhile ago, but I'm not 100% sure. If any of you know about the fic I'm talking about please tell me, and I'll give the author proper credit. Next chapter will have Lucy dealing with Loke being a celestial spirit, then after that we can really start the Tower of Heaven arc. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Let me know! ****Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW I NEED YOUR INPUT AND FEEDBACK, and PM me any ideas you have for this fic. **

**P.S. I between chapters for this fic, I watched several different anime. I won't list them all and say why I liked them, but I will give you my favorites and my personal score for them. If you want to see the full list check out my profile.**

**1\. Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry (8.7/10)**

**2\. ****Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai (8.65/10)**

**3\. Trinity Seven (8.8/10)**

**4\. No Game No Life (8.9/10)**

**5\. Highschool DxD (8.5/10 This is for 18+ only. Lot's of nudity, so don't watch if you're under 18)**

**So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	22. Chapter 22 Revelations

**Hey guys, I'm back with the first quick update chapter. I'm so glad you all liked last chapter, because I had a ton of fun writing it. This chapter will have Natsu and Lucy revealing their relationship to the rest of the ****guild, and have the start of Lucy dealing with Loke being a celestial spirit. Just to let you guys know, I'll be skipping the part where Natsu and his team participate in that play. I just feel no need to write that part, so I'll be skipping it. Also if you have questions for me please PM me or sign in and leave it in your review. You have no idea who frustrating it is to receive questions, but the person left the question in a guest review. And 90% of the time the questions are answered in these A/Ns, so please take ten seconds to read these because they will likely answer a lot of your questions.**

**Even though I've stated this at least five times already in different A/Ns, a guest reviewer asked me who was in the harem. So here we go again, the girls in the harem are: Lucy, Erza, Mirajane, Wendy, Flare, Juvia, and possibly Brandish if she joins Fairy Tail's side in the current manga arc. This harem will not change, no girls will be removed or added from this list, SO DON'T ASK! However, so people aren't confused, these are the girls that Natsu will sleep with but won't be in the actual harem: Hisui, Ultear, Cana, Yukino, Kagura, and Jenny. I repeat, these girls won't be in the harem! They'll just hook up with Natsu at some point during the story. **

**So with all of that out of the way let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still owned by Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

(That Same Morning; Fairy Tail Construction Site)

"Everyone!" Mirajane called out, getting all of the nearby guild members' attention. The white-haired beauty had a large smile on her face as she stood behind a makeshift bar. "Starting today we can receive job requests again!" There were several loud cheers before almost a dozen Fairy Tail mages rushed the request board; crowding around it to find a suitable job. "My, my they sure are eager."

"Mira-chan! Can I ask you something?!" Gray exclaimed, as he walked up to the bar.

"What can I do for you, Gray?" Mirajane asked, resting her hands on the bar and leaning forward.

"Have you seen Natsu or Lucy? Erza wanted us all to go on a mission together, and she hasn't seen either of them since we got back to town yesterday." Gray replied, as he took a seat.

"Well I haven't seen either of them." Mirajane said, pointing to the other end of the bar. "But he might know where they are." Gray turned his head and was surprised to see Happy by himself. The blue cat was currently munching a fish Mirajane had given him. "Oh Happy!" Mirajane's sweet voice caught the cat's attention. "Do you know where Natsu and Lucy might be?"

"I don't know where they are." Happy replied, which surprised both Gray and Mirajane. The blue cat was usually always at Natsu's side. "When we got back to Magnolia, I was really tired from carrying him, so Natsu said he'd walk the rest of the way home. But when I woke up this morning he wasn't there. I'm pretty sure he went to Lucy's house and stayed the night there."

"Actually that makes sense." Gray said, as he rubbed his chin. "Flame brain probably went to check up on Lucy, and the idiot probably fell asleep at her place."

_"Oh, I bet they did more than sleep." _Mirajane thought, suppressing her giggles. _"If what Cana told me is true, it's only a matter of time before those two hook up. Then I can finally get my chance."_

"Well, Happy is probably right." Gray said, as he stood up from his seat. "Erza was pretty insistent on us going on a mission, so I'll go check and see if those two are at Lucy's place." However, Gray hadn't taken five steps before someone called out to him.

"Oi, ice princess! Where you off to?!" Gray spun around to see Natsu and Lucy walking up the makeshift bar. But Gray was surprised to see that Lucy had changed her hair, and that she was...holding hands with Natsu? The ice mage also noted that Lucy appeared to be rather flustered, if the slight blush on her face was any indication.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Gray asked, his eyes narrowing at Natsu. "Why is Lucy's hair all pink? And why the hell was she holding your hand? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were dating or something."

"It's funny that you say that, popsicle dick." Natsu said, as he took a seat at the bar with Lucy occupying the seat next to him. "Cause Lucy and I are dating. So that means you back the hell off her." The silence that followed was deafening, as Mirajane and Gray stared at Natsu and Lucy in shock. Gray's mouth hung wide open, and Mirajane dropped the beer mug she was cleaning. "What?"

"Oh, Lucy I'm so happy for you!" Mirajane exclaimed, leaning across the bar and hugging the surprised blonde. "We need to talk now!" The white-haired barmaid waisted no time dragging Lucy off to the side. Mirajane and Lucy rushing off seemed to snap Gray out of his shocked stupor.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Slow the fuck down! What the fuck is going on right now!?" Gray yelled, as he slammed his hands onto the bar. "What do you mean you and Lucy are dating?!"

"What the hell do you think it means?" Natsu asked, quirking a pink eyebrow. "We're boyfriend and girlfriend, lovers, sweethearts, soulmates. Do I need to fucking spell it out for you?"

"When the hell did this happen?!" Gray exclaimed, as leaned closer to the dragon slayer, a little too close for Natsu's comfort.

"It happened after I beat Gajeel. We confessed our feelings and I kissed her. We've been together since then." Natsu replied, pushing Gray's face away. The dragon slayer hopped over the bar and poured himself a drink.

"Okay, okay...I guess I can understand that you two are dating now...but what's up with Lucy's hair...and...is that a tattoo on her neck?" Gray asked, as he glanced at the blonde as she spoke with Mirajane.

"Lucy's my mate, you figure out the rest." Natsu said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Wait..." Gray muttered, as the gears in his head began to turn. Suddenly Gray's eyes shot open as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh my God! You two fu-" Before Gray could finish, Natsu slapped his hand over the ice mage's mouth.

"If you don't want to be a pile of ash you won't finish that sentence." Natsu snarled, glaring fiercely at Gray. "Lucy doesn't want us being a couple to be some big deal, so we're keeping it quite right now. So we're only letting a few people know. And yes, Lucy and I did have sex. So, I'd appreciate it if you didn't go around telling everyone this. Also, that's not a tattoo, it's a mate mark. It shows everyone that Lucy's my girl, that's also why her hair changed too. Now I'm going to take my hand off your mouth now, and you're not going to breath a word of this to anyone, especially Erza. I'll tell her on my own. Got it?" Seeing Gray nod, Natsu released the ice mage.

"Holy shit man, that's a lot to process at once." Gray said, as he rested his head on his hand. "But congratulations I guess, Lucy is a great girl."

"Thanks." Natsu said, handing Gray a drink. "I really do love her."

"But I always thought you had a thing for Erza?" Gray said, as he took a sip of his drink.

"I still do." Natsu replied, which nearly caused Gray to spit out his drink. "For the love of God, before you go yelling again let me explain." Natsu glanced around to make sure no one was looking and leaned closer to the ice mage. "Again, you tell this to no one. All of this has to do with my magic. Normal dragons are naturally driven to take one mate during their lifetime, and that trait is passed down to dragon slayers. However, this process is different when it comes to dragon kings. Dragon kings take up to three mates each to ensure their magic is passed on to another generation. Since I was raised by two dragon kings my magic is driving me take multiple mates. It's not something I can control."

"So you'll have up to like what...six girlfriends? How will you choose them?" Gray asked, which caused Natsu to release a light sigh.

"That's the thing. My magic kinda picks my mates at first sight." Natsu replied, as he ran his fingers through his spikey pink hair. "I already know who four of my mates are though."

"Man, I don't know whether to be jealous or worried." Gray said, taking another sip of his drink. "So who are your other mates? It's pretty obvious Erza is one of them, so who are the other two?"

"I ain't telling you." Natsu said, as he smirked at Gray. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Tch, fine." Gray said, a smirk of his own spreading across his face. "So...how was Lucy under the sheets?"

"Well..." Natsu muttered, as he glanced at Lucy to make sure she wasn't looking. Seeing that the blonde was still talking to Mirajane, Natsu didn't see the harm in bragging a little. "She was-" Natsu was suddenly cut off when a table crashed into him.

* * *

(Two Minutes Earlier; With Mirajane and Lucy)

"So it's official now, huh?" Mirajane asked, once she had led Lucy far enough away from the other mages. Lucy's face was bright red, and she unconsciously rubbed the mate mark on her neck. "I guess Cana wasn't lying."

"Yeah, Natsu and I are really dating...WAIT! Cana knows?!" Lucy hissed, panic evident in her tone.

"Cana and Bisca know." Mirajane clarified, grabbing ahold of Lucy's shoulder before she could have a full blown panic attack. "But before you start freaking out, Bisca promised she won't tell anyone. Cana on the other hand...she's only told me so far. But she's seriously a wild card, I never know what she's gonna do."

"B-But how do they know?" Lucy asked nervously, as she rubbed her arm.

"Bisca used her rifle, and saw you and Natsu kiss after he beat Gajeel." Mirajane replied, causing Lucy's face to darken another shade of red. "Cana grabbed the rifle from Bisca and saw for herself."

"This is awful." Lucy said in a dejected tone, as she hung her head. "I didn't want everyone to find out yet."

"Like I said, you don't have to worry about Bisca telling anyone." Mirajane said, trying her best to reassure the blonde. "However, you probably won't have to worry about Cana talking either. She'll probably just use this blackmail or tease you."

"Thanks Mira, that makes me feel a little better." Lucy said, as a small smile spread across her face.

"So..." Mirajane hummed, nudging Lucy with her elbow. "How has it been dating Natsu? Have you two done the deed yet?"

"Actually, we have." Lucy said, as she began to fidget slightly in embarassment. "That's why my hair has all of these pink streaks. Also..." Lucy turned around and pulled down her collar; giving Mirajane a better look at her neck. "There's this."

"Is that..." Mirajane breathed out, her eyes slowly widening when she spotted the mark on Lucy's neck.

"Yeah, it's my mate mark." Lucy said, as she brought her collar back up.

"Oh! I'm so happy for you Lucy!" Mirajane squealed, pulling the blonde in for a tight hug. "When did this happen?!"

"L-Last night." Lucy replied, as Mirajane released her from the hug. "Natsu came over to my house last night, and one thing lead to another."

"Aside from your hair and the mate mark, has anything else about you changed?" Mira asked, inspecting Lucy from head to toe, looking for anything else abnormal.

"Now that you mention it my senses have become a lot stronger." Lucy said, which caused Mirajane to nod her head.

"Yes, the book I showed you mentioned that our senses would be greatly enhanced." Mirajane said, placing her hands on her hips. "What is it like having stronger senses?"

"It was a little weird at first, but it's actually pretty cool." Lucy replied, as a grin spread across her face. "I could smell the bakery that's near my apartment from a few blocks away, and like Natsu I'm starting to distinguish people by their scents. I could also hear all the ruckus coming from the guild practically from my home. Plus I've never been able to see so clearly. I know my senses aren't quite as strong as Natsu's, but it's still amazing."

"I see. That all sounds very beneficial." Mirajane said, nodding her head. "Sooo..." Mirajane cooed, leaning closer to the blonde with a devilish smile on her face. "How was our big dragon in the sac. I bet he was real beast."

"Oh he was amazing Mira." Lucy gushed, as she remembered her night of passionate lovemaking with Natsu. "He was so gentle and caring at first, then he just went-" Lucy was cut off when a loud crash was heard from behind them. Mirajane and Lucy spun around to see Natsu lying on the ground, table fragments scattered around him. "Natsu!?" Both girls ran up to the dragon slayer and helped him up.

"Are you okay, Natsu?!" Mirajane exclaimed, checking the dual dragon slayer for any injuries.

"Yeah, I think I'm okay." Natsu replied, as he rubbed his head. "But where the fuck did that come from?"

"You dare say something like that again?!" The sudden exclamation caused Natsu's head to snap towards its source. What the dragon slayer saw caused him to release a throaty growl. Across the construction site stood Erza, who glaring down a cocky looking Laxus.

"What's Erza doing?" Lucy asked, resting a hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"I'll be right back." Natsu said, as he gently brushed Lucy and Mirajane's hands of his shoulders. "You two stay right here."

"Don't do anything stupid Natsu!" Mirajane called out with a worried look in her bright blue eyes.

"I'll be fine Mira." Natsu said, not turning to face the barmaid.

"If you didn't hear me, I'll say it a little more clearly." Laxus said with a smug look on his face. "This guild doesn't need any weak bastards in it.

"You're scum." Erza growled out through clenched teeth, as she tightly balled her fists.

"We were looked down upon by a guild such as Phantom Lord..." Laxus said, running his hand down his face. "I couldn't bear to show my face to anyone."

"Tch, that dick has been back five minutes and he's already mouthing off." Gray said, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I can't believe someone like him is an s-rank." Lucy said, frowning at the large blonde-haired man.

"I'm talking about you guys specifically." Laxus said, as he pointed at Team Shadow Gear. "I heard you all were beaten up by the Iron Dragon Gajeel. HAHAHA! That's so pathetic! By the way, who the hell are you three?! HAHA! You're all such a disgrace!" As Laxus laughed at a now crying Levy, he never noticed Natsu stalking towards him.

"This bastard." Lucy snarled, feeling her own anger spiking. "I can't believe he made Levy-chan cry."

"Don't think I forgot about you." Laxus said, as he turned to face Lucy. "Your the stupid bitch who started all of this."

"LAXUS!" Mirajane yelled angrily, slamming her hands onto the makeshift bar. "The matter is closed. No is to blame for what happened. You weren't even here to fight, so we don't need you to add your two fucking cents. And that's an order from master."

"Tch, of course it doesn't have anything to do with me..." Laxus said, glancing at Lucy and Erza. "But if I were there I wouldn't have been beaten so badly and put on such a pathetic display." Laxus' words caused Erza to shake in anger. Before the scarlet-haired knight could act, someone else beat her to it. Laxus quirked an eyebrow when he felt someone grab his shoulder. The large men turned to see that Natsu had his hand tightly gripping his shoulder. Natsu's head was lowered, his wild pink locks hid his eyes and his breathing appeared to be somewhat ragged. "Oi, what's you problem pip-" Laxus was cut off when brilliant orange lightning exploded off Natsu's body. Natsu raised his head, revealing eyes full of fury. Laxus had no time to react, as Natsu's electrically charged fist crashed into his face. Natsu's attack sent Laxus flying across the construction site, and crashing through several tables.

"How dare you!" Natsu snarled, as orange lightning continued to flow off his body. "How dare you say such disgusting things to Levy, Jet, Droy, Erza, and Lucy! Did you know Levy and Team Shadow Gear almost died!?

_"Natsu..." _Levy thought, wiping a tear from her eye. _"You always stand up for all of us." _

"Do you even give a shit?! Gajeel almost killed Lucy too, does that even faze you?!" The lightning encasing Natsu only became more intense as his anger increased. "Are you just some sick fuck who derives pleasure from putting others down!? How can you call yourself a Fairy Tail mage!?" By now Laxus was back on his feet, and glaring Natsu down. However, Laxus took a slight step back when Natsu began to advance towards him. "I said I'd destroy you next time we met, and I meant it!"

"Natsu don't!" Lucy exclaimed, tightly latching onto Natsu's arm. "That asshole isn't worth it! So please stop this fighting! Be the bigger man!" Natsu was stunned as he watched Lucy stand in the middle of his lightning, completely unfazed by it.

_"She must be immune to his magic now because of us being mates now." _Natsu thought, as he stared down at his blonde-haired mate.

"Tch, you're fucking lucky Luce stopped me." Natsu said, fiercely glaring at Laxus. "Because I was ready to bury you."

"Whatever you little bastard! You just got a lucky shot on me is all!" Laxus growled, rubbing the large bruise on his cheek. But Natsu didn't miss the fear that flashed through Laxus' eyes. "I've got better things to do than hang out with you weaklings! If my plans succeed I'll erase all of you weak little shits! And anyone who dares to oppose me! I WILL make the strongest guild in the world! A guild that nobody will look down on! The strongest guild in history!" Letting out one last growl, Laxus disappeared in a flash of lightning.

"Succeed, what nonsense is he going on about?" Lucy asked, as Mirajane walked up to her and Natsu.

"It's not really nonsense." Mirajane replied with a frown on her face. "Because Laxus is master's flesh and blood grandson. So if master retires the chances of Laxus becoming our next master are quite high."

"That's awful...I don't want someone like him as our master." Lucy said, tightening her grip on Natsu's arm. The dragon slayer's presence seemed to calm her. "All he does is look down on his nakama."

"That's why rumors are floating around that master won't retire because of that." Mirajane said, as she released a light sigh. "I seriously worry about him sometimes."

"Don't worry, Luce." Natsu said, glaring at where Laxus had been standing. "That bastard won't become master if I have a say about it."

"You need to calm down Natsu." Erza said, as she placed her hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Messing around with Laxus isn't worth it." As Erza stood next to Natsu, she finally took notice of the blonde that was clinging to Natsu. Especially the celestial spirit mage's new appearance; the mark on her neck catching Erza's attention more than anything else. "By the way Lucy, what's up with your new look?" Erza quirked and eyebrow when Natsu and Lucy exchanged a quick look.

"Erza, can we talk in private for a second?" Natsu asked, gently removing himself from Lucy's grasp. "It's something really important."

"Uh, sure thing Natsu." Erza said, now more confused than before. "There's a secluded spot behind the construction site, we can talk there." Natsu shared one last look with Lucy, before he quickly followed after Erza. Once both mages where in private, Natsu double checked to make sure no one had followed them. "Alright Natsu, what's so important that you we had to talk in private like this?"

"It's about Luce." Natsu said, causing Erza to quirk a scarlet eyebrow. "You asked why she look different, right?"

"Yeah, her hair had all those pink streaks in it, and I noticed a strange mark on her neck." Erza replied, as she nodded her head. "It's strange, because she was fine the other day."

"Well there's a specific reason Luce looks like that now. Now I don't want you to get you upset, and I don't want you jumping to conclusion. Can you do that?" Natsu asked, placing his hands on Erza's shoulders.

"Sure thing Natsu...Now tell me what's up, you're really starting to worry me." Erza said, a concerned look in her brown eyes.

Natsu took a deep breath to calm himself, before he dropped the bomb on Erza. "Luce and I are dating."

"C-Come again." Erza said in a stunned tone, as her eyes slowly widened. "I-I don't think I heard you quite right."

"Luce and I are in a relationship Erza. She looks different because we're mates." Natsu explained, seeing realization flash through Erza's eyes.

"So you two..."

"Yes, last night." Natsu said, as he squeezed Erza's shoulders. "But Erza there's something you need to know. It has to do with me being raised by two dragon kings. Even though I'm with Lucy, I still lo-"

"Congratulations." Erza suddenly said, cutting Natsu off in the middle of his explanation. "I'm really happy for you two."

"E-Erza, please let me finish." Natsu tried to continue, but Erza shook herself out of his grasp. The dragon slayer reached out to Erza, but she began to walk away. "Erza wait!"

"It's fine Natsu, you don't need to explain anymore. I get it." Erza said, giving Natsu a smile that he could immidiately tell was fake. "Now why don't we get the team together and go on a mission?"

"O-Okay." Natsu said, as he hung his head. The dragon slayer tightly balled his fists and clenched his teeth. _"I __really messed up this time. Why do you have to be so stubborn Erza!? Why couldn't you just let me explain that I love you too!? That we can still be together!" _

"Good, I'll go pick something out." Erza said, walking away to pick out a mission. As the scarlet-haired knight walked away, she hung her head to hide the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. _"Damn it! I waited too long! Now I lost him to Lucy! I-I never even got a chance to tell him how I felt!" _Erza quickly wiped away her tears, as she picked out a request off the board. A sudden rush of anger flowed through Erza while she scanned over the missions. _"Taking out an illegal magic school, huh? Perfect, I really need to destroy something right now!" _

* * *

(That Night)

"*Sigh* Retire, huh?" Makarov muttered, as he took a long sip of his beer. Fairy Tail's master was currently sitting atop the new guild's construction site. "With a new guild hall, there should be a new master too...Laxus, his way of thinking is a serious problem so he's definitely not an option...Mystogan is a complete recluse...Gildarts has been around for years...Maybe...No, she's still too young...Erza, plus she has her own personal problems right now."

"Master!" A sweet voice called out from below. Looking down, Makarov saw Mirajane smiling up at him. "So this is where you've been hiding?!"

"What is it Mirajane?" Makarov asked, taking another sip of his drink.

"It seems something has happened again." Mirajane said, as he pulled out a stack of papers. "It seems Natsu and his team destroyed a stretch of road on their job. Erza herself actually caused more destruction than Natsu this time." Makarov's jaw dropped when Mirajane said this. "It seems she even threatened the army forces that arrived on the scene. The council has requested that we compensate immediately." Mirajane quirked an eyebrow when she saw the horrified look on Makarov's face. "Oh my, what's wrong master?"

"There's no way in hell I can retire now!" Makarov yelled, anime tears pouring from his eyes.

* * *

(Four Days Later)

"*Sigh* Alright, that's another mission done!" Lucy groaned out, wiping the sweat off her brow.

"God damn, Erza has been running us ragged with all these fucking missions!" Gray complained, as he prodded a barely conscious thug with his foot. "We've done like what, eight missions in the past four days."

"Yeah, but at least these guys didn't put up too much of a fight." Natsu said, sitting atop a knocked out bandit. _"I can only imagine she's doing this to take her mind off me and Lucy being together. I really have to talk to her when I get the chance. I still love her damn it, and I hate seeing her being so miserable." _Natsu released a heavy sigh, and crossed his arms over his chest. _"She's been avoiding me too. Every time I try to talk to her, she makes an excuse and leaves. And she never wants to hang out with me anymore." _

"You're right, weaklings like these guys shouldn't be causing trouble." Gray said, as he gave the thug one last kick. But when the ice mage turned to Natsu, he was surprised to see the dual dragon slayer lost in thought. "Oi ash for brains, what's up?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Natsu said, standing back onto his feet and stretching. "Just thinking about what to eat for dinner."

"Figures, all you think about is food and fighting." Gray said, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I'm finished over here as well." Erza said, walking up to the group as she dragged an unconscious thug behind her. But as Erza approached, she noticed a bandit trying to scramble away. Releasing a throaty growl, Erza dropped the thug she was dragging and chased after the fleeing bandit. "I don't think so!" Erza dove after the bandit and shoved him to the ground. The scarlet-haired knight dug her boot into the bandit's back as she pulled his arm back. The bandit howled in pain, feeling his arm slowly being pulled out of its socket. "I think you need a little more punishment!"

"Erza that's enough." Natsu said, as he placed his hand on the knight's shoulder. "Let's just called the magical council, and have them apprehend these guys."

"*Sigh* Fine." Erza said in an annoyed tone, releasing the thug's arm. With an upset huff, Erza stormed out of the room. "Let's get out of here."

"Well...that job went quicker than expected." Lucy said in a cheery tone, as she tried to ease the tension that had filled the group.

"Tch, I barely had a chance to really let loose." Erza said with a scowl on her face.

_"I think you had plenty of time to let loose." _Lucy thought with a sweatdrop, gazing at the collapsing building around them.

"Well we've still got our place at the local inn for another day." Natsu said, as he walked up to Erza. "This town is pretty laid back, why don't we stay the night and head back tomorrow?"

"I'd rather get back quickly, and go on another mission." Erza said, quickly shooting down Natsu's idea.

"Come on Erza! We've been going nonstop for days!" Gray complained, as a frown spread across his face. "Give us at least one night to rest and recuperate." Erza stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at the other members of the team. But when Erza really looked at them, her eyes softened. They did truly look exhausted. Gray and Lucy looked as if they'd pass out if they continued at their current pace, and Natsu had noticeable bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep.

"Alright, we can stay the night." Erza said, causing the other members of the team to let out a sigh of relief. "But! We are leaving tomorrow!"

"Fine by me, I just need a good night's sleep." Gray said, as he stretched his aching limbs.

"Huh?" Lucy muttered, something off in the distance catching her eye. "Hey, look over there..." Everyone turned to see a person standing a short distance away. "Isn't that Loke?" The sudden attention caused Loke to turn to his nakama.

"Well isn't this a coincidence." Gray said, as the group walked towards Loke.

"So you got work around these parts too?" Natsu asked with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, something like that." Loke replied nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ah! I have been looking for you! About my keys, I want to thank-" Lucy exclaimed, as she pushed her way towards the front of the group.

"LUCY!?" Loke yelled, recoiling away from the blonde celestial spirit mage. The orange-haired man immidiately began to sweat nervously. "Well, work is calling!" With those final words Loke dashed off.

"Ugh, what's with that guy?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Man, what the hell did you do to him?" Gray asked, quirking an eyebrow at the busty blonde.

"I haven't done anything!" Lucy replied, as she balled her fists.

"Come on, we've waisted enough time so let's head back to our inn." Erza said, leading the group back to their lodging.

* * *

(Later that Night)

Lucy let out a content sigh, as she let the hot spring's warm water wash over her. The busty blonde leaned her head against the stones behind her and closed her eyes. _"This is a such a small and quaint town west of Magnolia...I believe it's called Balsam Town. Gray mentioned that it's a popular tourist spot because of its unique oriental architecture. Our latest job was to take a group of thieves that had hold up in a local castle. It was great that we finished early, because now we get an extra night to relax and unwind." _As Lucy enjoyed the relaxing water, her mind drifted to Loke. _"What's up with him? He's been acting so strange lately." _Then Lucy cracked an eye open and glanced at Erza. The scarlet-haired knight was on the other side of the spring, as if she were avoiding her. Lucy noted that Erza had a frown on her face and she appeared to be in deep thought. _"Then there's Erza. She's obviously upset about me and Natsu being together. But this is starting to get out of hand. She needs to let Natsu explain himself instead of pushing me and him farther away." _Lucy groaned and briefly dunked her head under the water. _"Hopefully Natsu can get through to her soon, because I hate seeing Erza like this. She's only hurting herself."_

While Erza and Lucy enjoyed the hot springs, Gray and Natsu got some much needed rest in their room. The ice mage was trying to catch some sleep, but he was awoken when Natsu and Happy burst into the room.

"Here we go!" Natsu exclaimed, as he tossed down his blanket and pillow. "Man! It's nice that we can finally get some sleep!"

"Oi!" Gray yelled, turning over to glare at the dragon slayer. "I'm actually trying to sleep here! So can you shut the hell up!?"

"Jeez, you need to lighten up man." Natsu said, as he set up his blanket. When Natsu was all set up, he stretched and headed for the door. "Well I'm gonna go get something to drink."

"I don't care." Gray mumbled, placing a pillow over his head. "Just keep it down."

By the time Natsu left the room, Erza and Lucy had gotten out of the hot spring. Erza said that she was heading straight back to the room to rest, so Lucy decided to walk around the inn for a bit and enjoy the nice night air. As Lucy walked she summoned Plue to keep her company, the little celestial spirit walking beside her.

"Ah, what a great night." Lucy said, as she took a deep breath. "And that bath was just what I needed too. But it would have been better if Erza weren't acting so strange." Lucy hung her head when she remembered the look on Erza's face. "It's like she hates me now, or something."

"Hey there pretty lady." A sudden voice caused Lucy's head to snap up. She saw two shady looking men standing in front of her, blocking her path. "Mmmm, you look great in that yukata. You sightseeing?"

"How about it little missy..." The second, larger man said leaning closer to Lucy. "Want to get a drink with us?"

"Sorry, but I have a boyfriend." Lucy said, as she turned away from the men.

"Oh come on..." The smaller man cooed, beginning to follow after Lucy. "Just for a little while, I'm sure your 'boyfriend' won't mind."

"That's where you're wrong. He would mind very much. He doesn't take too kindly to sleezebags like hassling me." Lucy said, as she turned to glare at the two men. "I bet he's actually looking for me right now, so again I'm sorry but I'll have to pass."

"Oi, that wasn't a request lady." The larger man said darkly, grabbing ahold of Lucy's shoulder.

"Yeah, you're coming with us." The smaller man said, as he gripped one of Lucy's arms. "We're gonna have a real fun time."

But before either man could continue an overwhelming wave of killing intent washed over them. The killing intent was so powerful that both men immidiately collapsed to their knees. Then a blistering wave of heat slammed into both men, causing them to shake in fear. Both men gasped in pain when they felt a strong hand wrap around their throats and lift them into the air.

"You should listen to her." A menacing voice said, the men struggled to see who was attacking them. All they managed to see were glimpses of pink hair. "I don't like people messing with my girl. I should kill you both for trying to force yourselves on her. But I don't want to burden the innkeepers with cleaning up your corpses." Then without warning the assailant slammed both men's heads together, instantly knocking them unconscious.

"Natsu?! Thank God you showed up!" Lucy exclaimed, pulling the dragon slayer in for a tight hug.

"Don't worry Luce, I said I'll always protect you and I meant it." Natsu said, as he pulled in Lucy closer. The dragon slayer glared down at the men, before he spit on both of them. "Thanks for getting me Loke. If you hadn't gotten me in time, and these assholes had done something to Luce...I wouldn't have been able to hold back." Lucy was surprised to see that Loke was indeed standing off to the side.

"It was nothing really." Loke said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Those two were actually my targets, but I felt you should be the one to take them out Natsu." Loke reached down and grabbed both unconscious men by their collars. "Well, I guess I'll go turn these two in."

"Wait!" Lucy called out, as she grabbed the back of Loke's jacket. "Thanks for getting Natsu. And thanks you so much for finding my keys."

"Oh, don't mention it." Loke said, scratching his chin. "I was just doing what was right."

"Hey...if you don't mind, could we talk for a bit?" Lucy asked, which shocked Loke.

"Well, you probably wanna talk to him in private." Natsu said, releasing his grip on Lucy's waist. "I'll see you back in the room Luce."

"Come on Loke..." Lucy said, as she tugged on the man's sleeve. "There's a little bar up ahead."

* * *

(Five Minutes Later)

"H-Hey..." Lucy muttered, glancing at Loke who was seated several seats away from her. "You don't have to sit so far away."

"S-Sorry." Loke almost whispered, as her nervously chuckled.

"I've been meaning to ask this for a while now." Lucy said, swirling around the drink in her hands. "What's your deal with celestial spirit mages?" Lucy waited for a response, but after almost a minute she never got one. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me...But you know, I am who I am..."

"Yeah...I know that." Loke said, as he stared down into his drink. "I'm really sorry...if I've been bothering you, I apologize...You should just forget about me."

"What's up with you?" Lucy asked, quirking an eyebrow at the sad looking man. "It sounds like you're breaking up with your girlfriend, or something." Seeing that Loke wasn't going to say anymore, Lucy sighed and stood up from her seat. "Well whatever. I was just curious...Anyways, thanks for getting Natsu. You know, you really are a nice guy!" A small smile spread across Lucy's face as she gazed at Loke. "Besides, no matter what you say, we're still nakama...Well I'll just-" Lucy was shocked when Loke reached out and grabbed her hand. "Loke?"

"Please wait." Loke said, before he pulled Lucy in for a tight hug. "Lucy..."

"What's wrong Loke?" Lucy asked, shocked when she felt Loke begin to tremble slightly.

"I don't have long to live..." Loke said, as he released Lucy from the hug and locked eyes with her.

"Loke..." Lucy breathed out, her eyes widening considerably. "What's going on?" Loke simply stood silently for a few moments, before he lowered his head. Lucy was stunned when the orange-haired man suddenly burst out laughing. "W-What?!"

"AHAHAHAHA!" Loke laughed, as he winked at Lucy. "You totally fell for it! That's a little trick I use when I'm chasing after girls." Lucy began to grit her teeth to hold in her immense anger. "It gets me some great sympathy points. So what do you thin-" The sound of a harsh slap filled the empty bar. Loke nervously smiled, feeling the stinging handprint on his cheek.

"I..." Lucy said, beginning to shake in anger. "I hate those types of fucking jokes! You're a bastard!" Then with a huff Lucy stormed out of the bar.

_"What am I doing?" _Loke thought, as he hung his head in shame. _"I let my emotions get the better of me...I can't drag Lucy into this...I already..."_

* * *

**And done! I know this isn't a super long chapter, but I felt this was a good stopping point. Next chapter will wrap up Loke's little arc, and we can officially start the Tower of Heaven arc. Just an FYI I won't be going through Loke's entire backstory with Karen next chapter, I'll just briefly summarize it. Also next chapter will reveal why Natsu didn't choose Erza as his first mate, so look forward to that. I hope you all enjoy the little bit of NatZa angst this chapter. I should hopefully have the next chapter out fairly soon. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW (Come on guys there's over 1,000 followers we can do better on the reviews!), and PM me any ideas you have for any of my stories. So until next time, I'm outta here and I hope you all have a happy Easter!**


	23. Chapter 23 Celestial Spirit King

**I said this chapter would be out quickly and I meant it. This chapter will be the end of the quick updates for now, so you all will have to wait a little bit until the next chapter comes out; gotta update my Akame ga Kill fic, you know? Well this chapter will conclude Lucy and Loke's little arc, and will get the Tower of Heaven arc fully underway. Like I mentioned last chapter, I'm going to gloss over Loke's backstory with Karen, because there's like almost a whole chapter dedicated to that so why bother retelling something we all know already. Lastly, in this chapter we'll learn why Natsu didn't choose Erza as his first mate. I'm sure the reason won't be too shocking, but it will make sense. Also did any of you watch the final episode of Fairy Tail 2014?! That episode was so great, and had so much nostalgia and references in it. They did a great job on the final episode. I'm sad that the anime is going on hiatus for awhile, but it makes sense because the anime is very rapidly approaching where the manga is currently at. So they need to give the manga enough time to get ahead, or possibly even finish. But Hiro Mashima announced that the next anime project is already in the works and that he's personally helping with it, so that's got me super excited! I just hope we won't have to wait too long for more Fairy Tail anime goodness, plus we got the second movie coming out hopefully sometime this year as well! I know many of you have been looking forward to this chapter, so let's get straight to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thought"_

**Magic**

**"Celestial Spirit King"**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still owned by Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

(The Next; Fairy Tail Construction Site)

"Back off ice princess!" Natsu growled, butting heads with Gray. "I don't want to have to kick your ass in front of everyone!"

"HA! I'd like to see you try that, ash for brains!" Gray shot back, as he glared at the dual dragon slayer. Both mages were covered in bandages, while they continued to bicker and fight.

"What's up with those two?" Elfman asked Mirajane, staring at the duo from his place at the makeshift bar. "They've been like that since they got here."

"I heard a pillow fight escalated into a full out brawl during their last mission." Mirajane said with a smile, as she wiped off the counter. The white-haired barmaid looked at Natsu with affection in her bright blue eyes. _"Oh Natsu, one second you act all serious and cool and the next you're like a big kid. You can rally everyone to your side, and put a smile on their faces at the same time. You may not know it, but you're the heart of this guild. When we're down you motivate us all to get right back up." _

_"Juvia hopes Gray-sama and Natsu are okay." _Juvia thought, peeking at both mages from behind a nearby wall.

"Why do you have to take pillow fighting so fucking seriously!?" Gray yelled, as he grit his teeth.

"I go all out when I do anything!" Natsu roared, tightly balling his fists. "You're just bitching because you lost!"

"You didn't have to set the fucking pillows on fire when you threw them!" Gray shouted, as he shoved Natsu. "And what?! More like you lost!"

_"How do you determine who wins a pillow fight?" _Juvia thought, quirking a blue eyebrow.

"Lucy!" Both mages yelled simultaneously, as they turned to face the blonde. "I won didn't I?!"

"For the love of God! Can you two please knock it off for five fucking seconds!?" Lucy yelled, turning to glare at both mages. "You especially Natsu! Stop this petty bickering!"

"Sorry." Gray said, as he hung his head. _"Holy shit, she was as scary as Erza right there!"_

"Yeah, sorry Luce." Natsu said in an apologetic tone, rubbing the back of his head.

"*Sigh* I'm sorry too Natsu. I shouldn't have snapped at you guys like that." Lucy said, as she poked at the food on her plate. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"What's up Luce?" Natsu asked, taking a seat next to his mate. "You seem like you're upset, or something. You know you can always talk to me whenever you need to."

"Thanks for the offer..." Lucy said, as she placed a discrete kiss on Natsu's cheek. "But I think I'll pass." The blonde celestial spirit mage was about to take another bite of her food, but a sudden commotion at the other end of the bar caught her attention.

"Hey, have you seen Loki?"

"Loke are you here?"

"Where is Loke?"

Lucy turned her head to see a group of girls gathered at the other end of the bar. All of girls bombarded Mirajane with questions, all of them pertaining to Loke's whereabouts. The girls all looked upset, as if something terrible had just happened to them.

"Huh, what's going on over there?" Lucy asked, quirking a blonde eyebrow.

"I recognize some of them." Natsu said, as he scratched his chin. "I've seen a couple of those girls with Loke before. I guess they're all claiming to be his girlfriend, or something."

"Loke broke up with me last night! He never even told me why!"

"Oh no, the same thing happened to me!"

"Me too!"

"Why would he do something like that?!"

"I-I don't know." Mirajane replied nervously, waving her arms dismissively. But this didn't stop the girls from asking her even more questions.

"Did he find some other girl!?"

"Who is this bitch!? Is she in this guild?!"

"I...uh...um..." Mirajane began to sputter, as she tried to come up with some type of response. But the white-haired barmaid couldn't come up with anything, so she did the only thing she could think of. "Lucy! A little help over here!" Instantly all of the girls questioning Mirajane wiped around to face Lucy, an angry look in all of their eyes. Lucy gulped as the girls began to stalk towards her.

"Who's that?"

"She's kinda cute..."

"And she's got huge breasts!"

"Is she Loke's new girl?"

"N-Natsu?" Lucy said in a worried tone, tugging on the dragon slayer's vest. "A little help, please!"

"*Sigh* Alright, I'll handle this." Natsu groaned out, as he slide off his seat. "When I give the signal, you book it." The dragon slayer inhaled deeply, before he unleashed a stream of orange flames directly into the ground. A cloud of dust and debris was immidiately kicked up, which created an improvised smokescreen. The girls began to cough and sputter as the debris clouded their vision. "Now Luce! Run for it! I'll meet you back at your place!"

"Thanks Natsu!" Lucy called out, running in the direction of her apartment. "And Mira! Don't get me involved next time!"

"Damn it she got away!"

"Let's chase after her!"

"Yeah, we've gotta question her!"

"Well Lucy better lay low for a while. Those girls looked really upset." Mirajane said, as she watched the group of girls run off...in the opposite direction of where Lucy had gone.

"Yeah...but that wasn't very nice Mira." Natsu said, causing the white-haired barmaid to pout cutely.

"But Natsu, I couldn't think of anything else to do. I needed some help there." Mirajane said, as fake tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"Okay, you can knock off the crocodile tears Mira." Natsu said, giving the white-haired beauty a knowing look. "I know you too well, you could have easily dealt with those girls. You just wanted to mess with Lucy a little."

"Oh poo, you're know fun Natsu!" Mirajane whined, as she crossed her arms under her chest, which had the added effect of giving Natsu a generous eyeful of her ample cleavage. "I can never get away with teasing you anymore."

"You can tease me all you want Mira, but ease off Luce a little." Natsu said, his eyes still firmly locked on Mirajane's bouncing breasts.

"Natsu..." Mirajane said, snapping her fingers in front of the dragon slayer's face. "My eyes are up here."

"Huh? Oh shit, sorry about that Mira!" Natsu said, as he rubbed the back of his head in embarassment. "I thought I was being a little more discrete about that."

"Natsu, you were practically drooling." Mirajane said, before she got a seductive look in her eyes. The white-haired barmaid smirked lustfully as she leaned forward, which allowed Natsu to practically look down her dress. "You know Natsu, if you wanna look at them so badly I can give you a private show later."

"Sorry Mira, but that'll have to wait." Natsu said, causing Mirajane's seductive facade to immidiately falter. "I have to deal with Erza first, before I can do anything with you."

"Oh you're no fair Natsu! Why do I have to wait!?" Mirajane complained, as she let out an annoyed huff. But Mirajane squeaked in surprise when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her close. Looking up, Mirajane saw that Natsu's face was only a few inches away from her's.

"I'm sorry but you'll just have to be patient Mira." Natsu said, a wide smirk spreading across his face. Mirajane's eyes shot wide open when Natsu's leaned forward and briefly captured her lips in a passionate kiss, but it was nothing more than a quick peck. But the small kiss was enough to set fireworks off in Mirajane's heart. As Natsu gazed into Mirajane's eyes he remembered what the voices of his magic had told him a few days earlier, after he had found out Juvia liked Gray. "Remember good things come to those who wait." With that Natsu left a flustered Mirajane to bask in the afterglow of her first kiss with the man she loved.

* * *

(Ten Minutes Later; Lucy's Apartment)

"So that's everything that's happened Crux-jiji." Lucy explained, as the elderly cross-shaped celestial spirit floated in front of her bed. "I...definitely overreacted when I slapped Loke...but the more I think about it, the more I feel like he wasn't joking." The celestial spirit merely hummed in response.

"That's some pretty heavy stuff, Luce." Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Can you please investigate any celestial spirit mages Loke has been involved with in the past?" Lucy asked the celestial spirit. Crux nodded his head and appeared to immidiately fall asleep.

"Uh Luce..." Natsu said, tapping his mate on the shoulder. "I hate to break it to ya, but it looks like that guy fell asleep."

"No, he's simply searching for information." Lucy said, as she leaned back on her bed.

"Are you sure?" Natsu asked, looking at the celestial spirit skeptically. "Because I'm almost sure he's snoring right now."

"Crux-jiji is an expert on celestial sprit magic." Lucy explained, as she moved a few stray pink locks out of her eyes. "He knows everything that's going on in both the human and celestial spirit world. He even knows which spirits are summoned by which mages." Natsu and Happy nearly jumped out of their skin when Crux suddenly let out a loud scream. "Oh, you found something Crux-jiji?"

"Hmmm..." Crux grumbled, readjusting himself in the air. "In the spirit world, one's personal activities are still private, so I can't be too precise. But I found out that the celestial spirit mage Mr. Loke was in contact with is...Ms. Karen Lilica."

"Karen Lilica!" Lucy exclaimed, as her eyes widened.

"Karen Lilica? I think I've heard that name before..." Natsu said, rubbing his chin as he tried to remember where he heard the name. "But I can't seem to remember."

"She was a very famous celestial spirit mage." Lucy explained, as she grabbed a copy of the Weekly Sorcerer that was on her nightstand. She found a particular issue and showed the cover to Natsu. "And she's a beautiful woman who's been on the cover of Weekly Sorcerer magazine several times."

"Oh, that's where I've heard of her." Natsu said, nodding his head. "Mira did a photoshoot with her one time, and told me about her when she got back."

"Yeah, but I heard she died on a mission a few years ago." Lucy said in a slightly saddened tone. "If I remember right, she was a member of Blue Pegasus." The blonde celestial spirit mage then turned back to Crux. "So, what does she have to do with Loke?"

"Hmm, that is all I can say." Crux said, causing a frown to spread across Lucy's face. After a few moments it appeared as if Crux fell asleep again.

"Well, it looks like he's actually looking something up after all." Happy said, as he raised his paw.

"No, he's actually sleeping this time." Lucy corrected, causing Happy to facefault. "Karen and Loke..." Lucy closed her eyes as she went into deep thought. After a few moments Lucy's eyes shot open as a sudden thought occurred to her.

"What's wrong Luce?" Natsu asked, as he placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"I feel kind of funny." Lucy replied, clutching a hand to her head. Natsu was about ask how he could help, but the door to Lucy's apartment suddenly burst open. Ready to attack the intruder, Natsu was surprised when Gray ran into the room.

"Lucy! Natsu! We got big trouble!" Gray yelled, as he came to a skidding stop in the middle of the room. "Loke left Fairy Tail!"

"What?!" Lucy and Natsu exclaimed, leaping off the bed.

"Why would he do something like that!?" Lucy asked, as she quickly threw on her boots.

"Nobody know!" Gray replied, pointing out a nearby window. "But everyone is out looking for him right now!" Gray clenched his teeth and tightly balled his fists. "That guy has been acting strange for a while now."

"Could it be..." Lucy muttered to herself, as she finished lacing up her boots. "Natsu! You go help everyone look for Loke, I think I may have a clue!" Before Gray or Natsu had a chance to question the blonde, she bolted out of the apartment; both men were surprised when she hopped out of the window instead of using the door.

"Oi Lucy!" Gray exclaimed, running up to the window Lucy had jumped out of. "What's the big idea!? Where are you going?!"

"You heard her ice princess." Natsu said, as he grabbed Gray by arm and began to drag him out of the apartment. "Let Lucy do her thing while we look for Loke."

* * *

(Thirty Minutes Later; Remote Location South of Magnolia)

Loke had a solemn look on his face, as he stared at the aging grave in front of him. The grave was located on a small, isolated cliff, and was surrounded on three sides by a beautiful waterfall. The orange-haired man ran his hand over the inscription on the tombstone, _Here lies Karen Lilica_. Loke let out a long sigh, as he ran his thumb over Karen's name.

"So this is where you were, I had a feeling." Loke immidiately bolted upright when he heard a feminine behind him. He turned his head to see Lucy smiling at him. "Everyone is worried sick, and looking all over for you."

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" Loke asked, turning to face the blonde celestial spirit mage.

"This is Karen's grave, isn't it?" Lucy asked, which caused Loke's eyes to widen. "Celestial spirit mage Karen Lilica, was your summoner...Celestial spirit Loke, or more accurately Leo the Lion."

"Heh, you're something else you know." Loke said, a sad smile spreading across his face. "I should've known you'd figure out my secret."

"I'm a celestial spirit mage who's made a lot of contracts with spirits." Lucy explained, clasping her hands behind her back. "It took me a while, but I finally sensed the 'real' you. But...I really should have noticed sooner. Just so much has been happening lately that I never really payed much attention. Normally, when the summoner who holds your key dies, your contract is broken. You're then forced back to the celestial spirit world until your next summoner appears. Karen died, yet you're still here. There must be a reason why you can't return to the celestial spirit world." Loke chuckled darkly when Lucy said this. "Just as humans can't survive in the celestial spirit world, spirits can't survive long in the human world. Your life force will continue to drain away until you die."

"It's been three years already..." Loke said, which caused Lucy to gasp.

"Three years!? I'm stunned you made it past one!" Lucy exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"You're right..." Loke said, as he rubbed the back of his head. "I've reached the end of my line. I'm running out of strength."

"I can help you!" Lucy exclaimed, taking a step towards Loke. "Tell me why you can't return to the celestial spirit world, and I'll try to open the gate for you!"

"I don't need your help." Loke calmly said, as he shook his head.

"What are you talking about?! If we don't act soon you'll die!" Lucy yelled, taking another step towards Loke. "Please, let me help you!"

"The reason I can't return is quite simply really." Loke said, as he lowered his head. "I broke the sacred bond between summoner and spirit...and I've been exiled forever."

"Exiled...forever?" Lucy breathed out, her brown eyes widening considerably.

"This is my own sin." Loke said, as he raised his head and locked eyes with Lucy. "I'll die without any complaints. I'm a traitorous spirit. I killed my own summoner Karen."

"You killed Karen...You killed your summoner?" Lucy repeated, her voice full of disbelief. "That can't be right..."

"A spirit that kills his summoner cannot return to the celestial spirit world." Loke explained, as he gazed at the grave behind him. "I will disappear right here."

"But...you can't." Lucy whispered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"It happened three years ago." Loke said, as he hung his head. "Karen belonged to the guild Blue Pegasus. She always used to mistreat and abuse her spirits. Using us for menial tasks, and treating us as if we were tools." Loke suddenly tightly clenched his fists. "She even used Aries as a shield once. One day Karen was beating Aries, and she threatened to keep her trapped in the human world for seven days as a punishment. I couldn't stand sitting back and watching anymore, so I swapped places with Aries. She was furious of course, but I wanted her to terminate mine and Aries' contracts. She refused, so I told her I'd stay in the human world until she broke our contracts. As long as I remained in the human world she wouldn't be able to summon other spirits. I told her to meet when she was ready to break our contracts. Dozens of times Karen came to me and tried to negotiate terms, but I would only accept the termination of our contracts. But Karen was just so damn stubborn! So eventually three months passed, and by that time I had become accustomed to staying in the human world. I had finally decided to forgive Karen, but when I returned to Blue Pegasus I learned that Karen had died during a mission. After that I-" Loke suddenly began to wobble, before he collapsed onto the ground.

"Loke!" Lucy yelled, running up to the orange-haired man and helping him sit upright.

"I'm almost...out of time." Loke breathed out, as he clutched his head in pain.

"Don't say that!" Lucy exclaimed, grabbing onto Loke's shoulders. "Wait! Please just hold on!"

"*Pant* Because of me...Karen couldn't summon any of her other spirits." Loke said, as he placed his face on his hand. "*Pant* And in her state, she went on a mission and lost her life...I killed her, or was at least the cause of her death." Loke removed the hand from his face as it began to disappear. "Ever since that day, I've been unable to return to the celestial spirit world. This may be the end for me, but even so I'm happy to have met such an amazing celestial spirit mage." Loke turned to Lucy and gave her a weak smile. "Thank you Lucy."

"Hold on!" Lucy yelled, tightly gripping Loke's shoulders. "We're nakama! I'll help you for sure! I'm not gonna let you give up just yet!"

"Give my regards to everyone in guild." Loke said, as he ignored Lucy.

"If you go back to the celestial spirit world you can regain your life force!" Lucy exclaimed, beginning to sweat nervously. "I promise I'll send yo back there!"

"It can't be done..." Loke said weakly, as more of his body began to fade away.

"Please! Don't you think it's strange!? After what you told me, there's no way anyone would think you killed Karen! It wasn't your fault, it was an accident!" Lucy screamed, pulling Loke in for a tight hug. "**Open! Gate of the Lion! **Return Loke to the celestial spirit world! **Open! **Please!"

"Lucy..." Loke said, as he gently pushed the blonde away. "It's fine...so please just stop..."

"It's not fine!" Lucy screamed, gripping Loke's arms. "How can I just sit back and let one of my nakama disappear right in front of me!? What would Natsu and the others think of me if I didn't even try?! I'd never be able to live with myself!" Loke's eyes widened when the amount of magical power Lucy was using spiked dramatically.

"Lucy! You can't use so much power at once!" Loke yelled, as his eyes filled with worry.

"Have you been listening to me?! I said I'd save you for sure!" Lucy exclaimed, her entire body beginning to glow brightly with magical energy. "I'll just force your gate open, and send you back to the spirit world!"

"It won't open Lucy!" Loke shouted, as he tried to push the blonde away, but she wouldn't let go of him. "Celestial spirits who disobey their summoners cannot return to the celestial spirit world!" Loke began to panic as Lucy's body began to glow even brighter. "You have to stop! You're starting to merge with the spirit energy! If you keep this up you'll disappear with me! What will Natsu think if you suddenly disappeared!?" Tears began to flow from Loke's eyes. "Please don't add to my sins!"

"What sins!?" Lucy yelled, her magical energy spiking once again. "If that's the rule in the celestial spirit spirit world than I'll change it! That's something Natsu would do!" Both Loke and Lucy gasped when a new incredible source of spiritual energy formed behind them. A giant vortex began to form in front of the waterfall in front of them. "What's happening?!"

"You...you've gotta be kidding me..." Loke breathed out, as his eyes widened. "No way..." Before Lucy and Loke appeared a massive and imposing figure, adorned in brilliant armor. "The Celestial Spirit King?! Wh-What...are you doing here?!"

"Did you say k-king?" Lucy asked, glancing at the stunned spirit beside her. "You mean the most powerful celestial spirit of all?!"

**"My old ****friend, we who pledge oaths to humans..." **The Celestial Spirit King's voice boomed, as he addressed Loke. **"We who bear keys, we are forbidden from killing our summoners. Though not directly, you did indirectly cause your ****summoners death Leo. It is forbidden for you to return to the celestial spirit world."**

"Oi! Hold on a second!" Lucy exclaimed, standing onto her feet. "Don't you think you're being unreasonable?!"

"Please, just give it up Lucy!" Loke pleaded, as he reached out towards the blonde.

**"Old friend, that's the one 'rule' I cannot not change." **The Celestial Spirit king said, looking down at Lucy.

"He's been suffering and basically dying for three years!" Lucy shouted, as she glared at the towering figure before her. "He did all of this for his friend! It was for Aries' sake, so he couldn't help it!"

**"What you say is true, and my old friend's wish pains my heart but-" **

"This isn't about old friends! This about a friend right before your eyes!" Lucy exclaimed, gesturing towards Loke. "Please listen to me Celestial Spirit King!" Once again Lucy's magical energy surged, and she was bathed in brilliant yellow light. "Can't you see this all just an unfortunate accident!? I'm begging you, Loke isn't at fault here! I'll never believe he is anything but innocent!"

"That's enough Lucy! I don't need forgiveness!" Loke roared, as tears continued to stream down his cheeks. "I want to atone for my sin! Disappearing into the dark abyss...never being seen again...is fine with me!"

"I won't let you do that!" Lucy screamed, the ground underneath her began to tremble because of the amount of magical energy she was releasing. Loke didn't notice that Lucy's mate mark was now faintly glowing. "You heard what I said earlier! What would Natsu think of me if I didn't try to save you?! He always gives his all to protect his nakama! He almost died saving me when Phantom Lord attacked! So now it's my time to step up and protect my nakama!" Loke's eyes shot open when all of Lucy's celestial spirits appeared around her. The celestial spirits all stood around Lucy protectively. "It's not a sin I tell you! Caring about your nakama's feelings and wellbeing isn't a sin!"

_"This many celestial spirits...at one time." _Loke thought in shock at what he was seeing. _"It's incredible..." _Suddenly the spirits surrounding Lucy disappeared, and the blonde collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. "Lucy!"

"My nakama all feel the same way too." Lucy said, digging her fingers into the ground. "As a celestial spirit yourself, you should understand Loke and Aries' feelings too!"

"You almost overdid it right there!" Loke exclaimed, as he helped Lucy sit upright. "It was only for a moment, but you could have died!"

_**"She reminds me so much of her mother...Layla, I see amazing potential in your daughter." **_The Celestial Spirit King thought, gazing down at the blonde. **"If you would go so far for my old friend...maybe the one 'rule' is at fault here." **A smile spread across Lucy's face and Loke's eyes slowly widened. **"You committed a great sin for your ****comrade Aries' sake, Leo. I'll try and save that Leo, old friend. For the sake of that shining and radiant bond, I shall make one exception. Leo...I'll allow you to return to the spirit world." **

"You've sure got a benevolent side don't ya, you old bearded-man?" Lucy said with a wide grin on her face. The Celestial Spirit King gave the blonde a toothy grin of his own.

**"You were falsely accused, Leo." **The Celestial Spirit King said, beginning to disappear in a swirling vortex of starlight. **"Thank the guidance of the stars. Even after all of this, if you still are compelled to atone for your sins then I order you to become a pillar for your friends and live on. Those are the most important friends in your life. There is much nobility in the willingness to lay down your life...to protect those that are precious to you." **

"Haha!" Lucy laughed weakly, as she smiled at Loke. "What did I tell you?!"

_"This doesn't absolve my sins..." _Loke thought, fading away back into the celestial spirit world. The spirit of the lion wiped his tears away, and gently grasped one of Lucy's hands. _"But you've given me the strength to carry on." _

"Thank you." Loke's disembodied voice said, his form fully returned to the spirit world. "I look forward to working with you...and being your backbone..."

"Me too." Lucy said, tightly gripping the new golden key in her hand.

Up in a large tree overlooking Karen's grave, Natsu Dragneel sat with a small smile on his face. The dual dragon slayer couldn't help feeling a rush of pride, as he watched his mate clutch Loke's key close to her heart. _"That's my girl." _

* * *

(The Next Day; Fairy Tail Construction Site)

"So you're a celestial spirit?" Gray asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." Loke replied, as he nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"Huh, I never noticed." Gray said, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You know now that I think about it..." Natsu muttered, as he sniffed Loke; causing the orange-haired man to cringe slightly. "You smell a little different than everyone else."

"I guess celestial spirits have a different scent." Loke said with a nervous chuckle.

"Anyway, are you just going to carry on like you used to, Loke?" Gray asked, causing a small smile to spread across Loke's face as he adjusted his glasses.

"Those days are in my past now that Lucy is my summoner." Loke said, as he turned to face the blonde. "When Lucy is in trouble, I'll gallantly show up and rescue her. I'm her knight in shining armor." Lucy squeaked in surprise when Loke suddenly scooped her up bridal style. "Speaking of which, let's discuss our plans for the future." However, Loke didn't make it three steps before he was stopped by a strong hand gripping his shoulder. He turned his head to see a sight that caused his heart to stop beating for a moment. Natsu Dragneel was looking at him with eyes full of rage.

"You may be her knight..." Natsu said deathly calm, tightening his grip on Loke's shoulder; causing the spirit to yelp in pain. "But I'm her guardian dragon, and I don't like pesky knights stealing my princess." With a low growl, Natsu strengthened his grip once again. Loke had to bite his tongue to stop himself from screaming in pain. "I can handle a little flirting, because Luce is a stunning girl so it's bound to happen. But if you ever try to take her from me...I will destroy you. Do you understand?"

"M-Message received!" Loke quickly replied, as he quickly released Lucy. "I'm sorry Lucy."

"It's fine Loke, but just remember that I'm with Natsu. Like he said, if you want a flirt a little go right ahead. But don't try anything too funny, because it won't work. I love Natsu, and I don't want to be with anyone else." The blonde celestial spirit mage reached into her pocket and pulled out Loke's key. "Alright, you can go now Loke."

"Hang on!" Loke exclaimed, as he began to dig through his own pockets. Lucy quirked an eyebrow when Loke suddenly pulled out four tickets. "Here, take these."

"What are these?" Lucy asked, scanning over the shining tickets.

"Well, since I can't stay in the human world for long periods anymore...I've got these tickets for a resort hotel that I planned on inviting my girlfriends to." Loke explained, as he winked at Lucy. "You all really helped me out so I'm giving these to you as a 'thank you' gift. You all should go and have a great time."

"Ah! I can't wait to go to the beach!" Lucy cheered, hugging the ticket close to her chest.

"Man! I've never stayed at such a fancy hotel!" Gray exclaimed, as he stared at the ticket with wide eyes.

"I can't wait to christen the bed in our hotel room." Natsu whispered hotly into Lucy's ear, causing the blonde's face to flush bright red.

"I've already given a ticket to Erza. Have fun!" Loke called out, as he disappeared in a flash of light.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Erza asked, walking up dressed in her beach apparel. The scarlet-haired knight was towing her usual cart full of gear behind her. _"This trip is the perfect chance to take my mind off Natsu and Lucy."_

* * *

(The Next Night; Balcony Outside Erza's Hotel Room)

Erza released a content sigh, as she reclined in the lounge chair on her balcony. The scarlet-haired knight was exhausted from her day full of fun and leisure. She even managed to speak with Lucy earlier, and joined the team in a game of volleyball. However, Erza still had a difficult time speaking with Natsu by himself and still avoided him whenever possible. The dragon slayer had hurt her, and she didn't think she could handle talking to him right now. As Erza relaxed, her mind began to drift to a long forgotten part of her memories. Her mind managed to wander to dark time in her life, a time full of hardships and tears. A time she had hoped to never think of again. A time Natsu had helped her forget. Erza bolted upright covered in a cold sweat. The scarlet-haired knight was panting slightly, as she ran her hand down her face.

"Was that all just a dream?" Erza asked herself, as she got off the lounge chair and headed back into her room. "I must have nodded off..." Erza gazed at her scarlet locks in the sliding glass mirror. She smiled softly and re-equiped back into her armor. "I'm most at ease in armor after all. Heh, there's no changing a girl like me."

"Erza." A soft voice said from behind her door. Erza froze when she heard the voice, it was definitely Natsu. After a quick knock, the dual dragon slayer entered the room. "They've got a casino downstairs. Want to come check it out with us?"

"You know I don't like gambling." Erza said, not turning to face the dual dragon slayer.

"Come on, we both know that's a lie." Natsu said, as he slowly walked towards Erza. "Lucy and Gray are already down there playing."

"*Sigh* Fine." Erza huffed, immidiately being bathed in a bright light. When the light had died down, Erza was wearing a beautiful purple dress with red rose patterns along the sides and bottom. "I'll be down in a few minutes, just give me some time to finish getting ready." However, the dragon slayer didn't move from his spot. Natsu's continued presence was really starting to upset Erza. "Didn't you hear me?! I said I'll be down! Now leave!"

"Erza..." Natsu said quietly, as he tightly balled his fists. The dragon slayer's head was lowered, his pink locks hiding his eyes. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

"W-What are you talking about? I haven't-"

"Yes you have!" Natsu yelled, raising his head to reveal a few tears falling from his eyes. "We've barely said fifty words to each other the past week! Whenever I ask you to hang out you're always busy! You never speak to me when we're not with other people! You've been acting weird ever since I told you I was dating Luce!"

"Please don't bring that up." Erza said harshly, as she glared at Natsu. "I don't need to hear it again."

"Erza, it's been killing me to see you so miserable! I know you're hurting right now..." Natsu said, walking up to Erza and placing his hands on her shoulders. "But if you just let me explain you'd understand! And we can all be happy again!"

"You keep saying that!" Erza screamed in Natsu's face, as her own tears started to pour from her left eye. "What could you possibly say that would make things better?! Than can fix my broken heart!? I loved you! I've loved you for years, but you chose her instead of me! You know how much it hurt me to hear that?!"

"I love you too damn it!" Natsu yelled, pulling Erza in for a tight hug. Erza's eyes were wide open as tears continued to stream down her cheek. "I love you so much it hurts!"

"W-What?" Erza asked, as she stood completely still. "H-How can you love me when you're dating Lucy?"

"I love both of you!" Natsu exclaimed, tightening his hold on the scarlet-haired knight. Erza was about to speak, but Natsu cut her off. "I tried to tell you before that it has to do with me being raised by two dragon kings. Normal dragons are driven to claim one mate in their life. However, dragon kings take on multiple mates to ensure that their magic is passed down to the next generation. Dragon kings pick their mates instinctively at first sight, and are driven to love their mates and make them happy. These traits are then passed down to dragon slayers."

"So...your magic is pushing you take on multiple mates?" Erza asked, as she looked up at Natsu.

"Yes, I know who a few of my chosen mates are, you and Luce are two of them. I love you both so much Erza, you have no idea." Natsu said, hugging Erza's head to his chest. "It's been actually hurting me to see you so sad and down for the past few days. I only want you to be happy Erza, to see you smile. If you're willing we can still be together Erza, you'll just have to share me with other girls." Natsu noticed that Erza was about to protest, but he stopped her before she could. "Erza, don't you think for one second that I'll neglect any of my girls. I'll make time for all of them, and love all of them equally. There won't be any favorites or top girls. Because you're all special and amazing to me." Natsu gently cupped Erza's cheeks so that he could gaze into her warm brown eyes. "Please Erza, the dragon needs his knight."

"I...I don't know what to say." Erza whispered, as she looked deep into Natsu's eyes; trying to see any hint of deceit. Seeing none, she decided that maybe she could open her heart up to this new idea. "I still love you Natsu, and I don't want to lose you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, by your side." A feeling of hope began to build inside of Natsu. "I...I think I can give this whole 'sharing' thing a chance. But...I need to know one thing first."

"Sure, ask me anything Erza." Natsu said, gently wiping away the tears in Erza's eye.

"Why didn't you pick me to be your first mate?" Erza asked, which caused Natsu's eyes to widen momentarily.

"*Sigh* I could give you the easy answer and just say it was because of Mira's little plan." Natsu said, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say. "But that wouldn't be the true reason...The reason why I didn't pick you first...is because I'm not the only man you love."

* * *

**And done! There's the pick reveal! Natsu isn't the only man Erza loves! I think you can guess who the other man is. Even though I hate JeRza, it's undeniable that Erza holds special feelings for you know who. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Let me know! Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW, WE NEED MORE REVIEWS, and PM me any ideas you have for this fic. This chapter marks the end for the quick updates, so you'll have to wait for the next chapter. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	24. Chapter 24 The Tower of Heaven

**Hey guys! I'm finally back with the next chapter for this fic. I apologize for the longer than average wait for this chapter, but several things have been keeping me very busy lately. Between summer classes (which has been absolute bitch so far), work, Overwatch, Dark Souls 3, and console mods for Fallout 4 I've had very little time to write. But I want you all to know that I will never plan to abandon this fic, even if it takes me several years to finish. It may take a while for chapters to come out sometimes, but they will come, just be patient. Well this chapter will delve deeper into Tower of Heaven arc. Actually the Tower of Heaven arc is much shorter than I originally thought, only spanning around 25 chapters. So it shouldn't take too long to finish this arc, but I won't be speeding through it like the Galuna Island arc. As usual since you've all waited so diligently I'll be writing a few chapters in quick succession for this fic, so look forward to that. ****Before I get to the chapter I want to say a few things. With the way the manga is going right now it's looking more and more likely that Brandish will end up in Natsu's harem. She hasn't fully switched to Fairy Tail's side, but she's helped them a few times and is likely one good push away from joining Fairy Tail's side. I think this meeting with August will be that turning point and with this encounter Brandish will switch sides. The next thing I want to talk about is regarding Eileen. I won't spoil who she is for those who haven't been keeping up with the manga, but ever since she was first shown I've been awestruck by her, Hiro Mashima absolutely hit it out of the park with her design and personality. But I bring up Eileen because she might be another possible ****candidate for Natsu's harem. Like with Brandish, I'll have to see how Eileen is once she's a little more fleshed out in the manga. If she's just a total evil, sadistic bitch who blindly follows Zeref and won't even consider helping Fairy Tail, then she's out. But! If she shows signs of possibly switching sides, which might possibly happen considering who she might be related to, then I will definitely add her into Natsu's harem. Because I love Brandish and Eileen and I think they'd make great additions to the harem. Also for those of you who have been keeping up with the manga, holy shit! Chapter 488 was a fucking emotional rollercoaster and I'm still can't believe what happened! Again I won't spoil what happened, but I can almost guarantee the shocking thing that happened won't be permanent, especially with what happened between those two characters and how important that one character is to the overall plot concerning Acnologia. I'm trying to keep it really vague for those who haven't read the chapter, but those who have will know what I'm taking about. **

**P.S. Since my Naruto fic will be ending after the next chapter, I've created a poll to help decide what series I should write a fic for next. The poll has been up on my profile for about two weeks, so when you're done reading the chapter head onto my profile and vote for the series you want to see a fic from. There's no guarantee I'll write the fic, but I want to know what you all would like to see next.**

**P.P.S Just like with Gray, I'll be skipping over Erza's backstory in the Tower of Heaven because we already know all of it and I wouldn't change it very much. So no point writing something we already know.**

**Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the chapter!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still in Hiro Mashima's capable hands.**

* * *

"W-What did you just s-say Natsu?" Erza asked in a shocked tone, her eyes slowly widening. The scarlet haired knight must have been hearing things. There's no way Natsu had said something like that. "I don't think I heard you quite right."

"I said...I'm not the only man you love." Natsu said, as he avoided Erza's gaze and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"But, I love you Natsu!" Erza exclaimed, pressing her hands against Natsu's chest. The scarlet haired knight could feel tears stinging her left eye again as she tried to to get Natsu to look at her. "I've been in love with you for years now Natsu. You're the only one my heart wants." Erza's voice was slightly shaky and lacked her usual conviction and determination.

"Erza, I know you love me...and I couldn't be happier knowing that. But..." Natsu said, as he gently push Erza away. "There is someone else you love. You can deny it all you want, but I can tell."

"How?" Erza asked, tightly balling her fists as she felt a sudden wave of anger. "How can you be so sure when I don't even believe it?!"

"I figured it out about a year and a half ago." Natsu explained, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Back then my feelings for you were starting to get serious and I wanted to try and start a relationship with you. But...every time I tried to cross that line between friend and lover, you would always deny me or push me away. Whenever I tried to discuss my feelings with you, you'd quickly change the subject and act as if it never happened." Erza's eyes widened when Natsu said this. Had she really done something like that? "And I knew you had feelings for me. I saw the way you looked at me and how you treated me compared to the other guild members. How you'd always hug me so tight, as if you were afraid I'd disappear or something. Or how you're always so worried about me and rush to my side when I need help. I knew you loved me Erza, but you never wanted to cross that line and I couldn't figure out why. Then one day it just seemed to click. That there was another man and your feelings for him were preventing you from being with me."

"N-No...that's not-"

"You can deny it all you want Erza, but deep down you know I'm right." Natsu said, as he placed a comforting hand on Erza's shoulder. The scarlet haired knight didn't want to admit it, but deep inside her everything Natsu said made sense. She had always been hesitant to act on her feeling for Natsu, and until now she didn't know why. It took Lucy becoming Natsu's mate for her to realize that if she didn't act she might lose him for good. But was what Natsu was saying really true...did she still have feelings for 'that' man? A man who existed in a part of her life that she desperately tried to forget. Erza was shaken from her thoughts when Natsu suddenly brought her in for a tight hug. Erza was immediately comforted by Natsu's overwhelming warmth, and was extremely disappointed when he let her go. When the dragon slayer released her from his embrace, he was smiling brightly at her. "Listen Erza...how about we talk about this more when we get back home? We're supposed to be having fun here, not spoiling our vacation. Why don't we head down to the casino now and join everyone else?"

"Alright Natsu...we can pick this back up later." Erza said with a small smile, wiping the tears from her eye. "Now why don't we have some fun, I'm already dressed up so we might as well go. Plus, I'm feeling pretty lucky right now." Natsu blushed brightly when Erza hugged his right arm between her glorious breasts. "Now my big, strong dragon lead the way."

"A-Anything you for you E-Erza." Natsu said, as he gulped audibly, doing his best to fight against his raging hormones.

* * *

(Five Minutes Later; Resort's Casino)

"Come on 17 black!" Natsu exclaimed, watching the small ball spin around the roulette table. "Come on! Come on!" The ball started to slow down and looked as if it would land 17 black. But just as the ball was going to land on 17 black it unexpectedly jumped two space over.

"22 black!" The dealer announced, as he began to collect everyone's chips.

"That's bullshit!" Natsu yelled in irritation, slamming his hands onto the table. "It was definitely on 17 black, but then it some how bounced two over! What's up with this stupid thing!?"

"Yeah, that's not fair!" Happy exclaimed, as he backed Natsu up.

"P-Please calm down sir." The dealer said, putting up his hands defensively. "It's called roulette for a reason."

"Natsu please calm down." Lucy whispered into the dragon slayer's ear, as she draped her arms around his neck. The blonde celestial spirit mage enjoyed the flustered look on Natsu's face when she pressed her large breasts against his back. Lucy seductively smiled and gently nibbled on Natsu's ear. "Don't cause a scene, okay?" Natsu dumbly nodded his head in response to Lucy's question. "Good boy." Lucy gave Natsu a quick kiss on the lips before she began to walk away. "I'm gonna go check on Erza."

"S-Sure thing..." Natsu breathed out, watching Lucy walk off. His eyes firmly glued on her beautiful, round ass. "Holy shit...you have no idea what I'm gonna do to you tonight Luce."

"Hot damn." The dealer said, as he gazed at Lucy with lustful eyes.

"Oi!" Natsu yelled, slamming his fists onto the table again. "Keep your eyes off my girl you bastard!" Natsu pulled out a handful of chips and roughly placed them on the table. "Now do your job and give me 200 on 36 red." As the dealer placed Natsu's chips, the dragon slayer was glaring a hole through his head. "And I'm watching very closely this time. If I see any cheap bullshit I'm kicking your ass."

"Haha, what a stupid bumpkin!" Gray laughed, as he pulled the arm of the slot machine was at. As Gray watched the slots spin he felt a presence approaching from behind.

"Gray-sama..." A timid and soft feminine voice said.

"Hm? What is-" Gray turned to see who was talking to him, but his eyes shot open when he saw that it was Juvia.

"I...I tagged along..." Juvia said, as she slightly fidgeted with her dress. The former member of Phantom Lord was wearing a beautiful blue dress, which showed an ample amount of her cleavage, and a gold Fairy Tail pendant around her neck.

"Y-You're...what...why...huh?!" Gray sputtered, staring at Juvia in shock.

"Damn Gray..." Natsu said under his breath, as he watched both mages from his spot at the roulette table. "Why couldn't she pick me instead of that ice prick? *Sigh* If she wants Gray I won't force her to love me. All I can do is wait and try to win her heart, I guess."

_"Oh Natsu..." _Lucy thought, seeing the longing look in Natsu's eyes as he stared at Juvia. _"You'll win her over eventually. Just be patient and she'll see how much you love her." _

"What the hell!?" Natsu yelled, as he shot up from his seat. He had taken his eyes of Gray and Juvia to see that, once again the small ball had landed on his number only to bounce out again. "It did it again! I saw it for sure this time! What kinda shady bullshit is this!?"

"Listen here boy..." A cool voice said from behind Natsu. The dragon slayer turned around to see the weirdest look man he had ever seen in his entire life. The man's entire body appeared to be blocky and square. "When you're in a place for adult entertainment, you should enjoy it in a dandy fashion."

"What...the hell?" Natsu said, staring at the strange man with immense curiosity. "It's a square man."

"Let me give you some advice boy." The strange man said, as he rapidly spun around in his swivel chair. "There's only two paths for a man to take. He can live in a dandy fashion..." Suddenly the man sprung out the chair towards Natsu. The dragon slayer's eyes shot open when the square man grabbed his scarf and stuck a loaded revolver in his mouth. Natsu began to sweat when the man cocked back the revolver's hammer. "Or he can just keel over and die. That's all."

"He's got a gun!" The dealer yelled, all the surrounding patrons running for cover.

_"What's with this guy!?" _Natsu thought, as he stared down the barrel of the loaded weapon.

"I'm only going to ask you once boy." The man said, giving the chamber of his revolver a quick spin. "Where's Erza Scarlet?" Natsu didn't say a word, he merely glared at the man. "Ain't talking, eh?" Without warning all the lights in the room went out and everything was plunged into pitch blackness. The only thing Natsu could see was the smoldering end of the square man's cigar. "Nighty night boy..."

_"Shit! I gotta act fast!" _Natsu thought, as he completely covered the barrel of the gun with his mouth. Then before the square man had a chance to pull the trigger, Natsu filled his mouth with intense flames. The revolver's barrel melted almost instantly and the rest of the gun turned red hot. The square man howled in pain as he dropped the searing hot firearm.

"Ya little shit!" The square man yelled, holding his burned hand. "That was my favorite fucking gun!"

"I'm gonna do more than melt your gun this time!" Natsu exclaimed, as bright orange flames exploded off his body. "Now start talk...Where the hell did he go!?" The dual dragon slayer growled as he searched for the square man, but he had seemingly vanished into thin air.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" Happy asked, walking up to the dual dragon slayer.

"Yeah, I'm fine buddy." Natsu replied, as the flames encasing his body died down. "But we have to find Erza quick! That bastard was after her and I don't think he was working alone!"

* * *

(Three Minutes Earlier; With Gray and Juvia)

"So I heard Phantom Lord disbanded..." Gray said, casually taking a sip of his drink as he sat at the bar next to Juvia.

"Yes..." Juvia said, as a slight blush spread across her face. "Juvia is once again an independent mage."

"So...I'm guessing you wanna join Fairy Tail?" Gray asked, eyeing the pendant around Juvia's neck.

"Yes! Very much so!" Juvia exclaimed, as she rapidly nodded her head. "Juvia would like to join Fairy Tail!"

"Well with what you guys just did..." Gray said, rubbing the back of his head. "I wouldn't mind too much and I know flame brain would be happy...but I don't know what master would say."

"But Natsu told Juvia that Fairy Tail is a very welcoming guild." Juvia explained, as she slightly cocked her head. "But if what Juvia has done is a problem then Juvia will do whatever Juvia needs to do to get in!"

"Even if you say that..." Gray said, sweatdropping at Juvia's enthusiasm. Before Gray could say anymore both mages felt a large presence looming behind him. Juvia and Gray turned their heads to see a man as big as Elfman standing behind them. Without warning the unknown man slapped Juvia, sending her flying across the bar. "Juvia!" Gray growled and turned to glare at the imposing man. "You trying to pick a fight ya bastard!?"

"Gray Fullbuster I presume?" The large man asked, as he towered over Gray. "Where's Erza Scarlet?"

"What?" Gray asked, as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I won't repeat myself again." The large man said, taking a menacing step forward. "Where is Erza?"

"Just who the hell are you?" Gray questioned, as he prepared to possibly fight this stranger.

"Stay away from Gray-sama..." Juvia said, reforming out of water directly in front of Gray. "Juvia won't let you lay a finger on him...Juvia will be your opponent." Before Gray could say anything Juvia turned to him. "Go find Natsu and Erza-san, they're in danger."

"Hm?" The large man muttered, as he slightly flinched. Juvia and Gray watched as the man pressed his index and middle finger onto his temple. "You've already found her? Oh really? Is that so..." The large man's eyes darkened as he looked at Gray and Juvia. "If that's the case then I'm going to tidy things up here." Without warning the entire room was plunged into pure darkness. "**Lineage of Darkness Magic: Dark Moment!**"

"What the hell's going on?!" Gray exclaimed, stumbling around in the dark, before he entered a world of pain.

* * *

(Five Minutes Earlier; With Erza and Lucy)

"Wow! Erza you're amazing!" Lucy cheered, witnessing Erza win yet another game of poker. "You've won like five games in a row! You're rolling in jewels now!"

"Heheh, lady luck appears to be on my side tonight." Erza said with a satisfied smirk, as she stared at her ever growing stack of chips. The scarlet haired knight was on an absolute hot streak and she didn't plan on stopping anytime soon.

"Hey it's time to switch dealers." A new mysterious dealer said, pulling away the bewildered and shocked previous dealer.

"Right now I feel like I can't lose to anyone. I'm so glad Natsu convinced me to come down here." Erza said, as she placed her next bet on the table. "Hell yeah! Let's play another round! I ain't leaving until I've robbed this place blind!"

"Uh, you might wanna choose your words a little more carefully Erza." Lucy warned, as she nervously eyed the nearby security guards. _"Now I know why Natsu warned me about Erza's gambling...she may have a little gambling addiction." _

"I like your enthusiasm ma'am." The dealer said, hiding his face from everyone as he rapidly shuffled the cards. "In that case why don't we play an extra special game. This time we won't be playing with chips." Suddenly Erza was dealt her cards and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw them. Each individual card had a letter on them, all the cards spelling out 'death.' Erza's eyes widened even further when she noticed a familiar tattoo underneath the dealer's lower lip. "Let's bet with our lives..." The dealer fully lifted his head, revealing a face Erza hadn't seen in almost a decade. "Erza-neesan."

"S-Shô..." Erza breathed out, as she stared at the man in shock.

"It's been a while...nee-san." Shô said, smirking at Erza.

"You...you're safe?" Erza asked nervously, as she began to break out in a cold sweat.

"Safe? That's not quite the word I'd use." Shô replied, gazing darkly at the scarlet haired knight.

"Ah...no...that's not what I meant..." Erza began to stutter, as she felt herself becoming more and more flustered. Suddenly all the lights went out, causing Lucy to yelp in surprise and latch onto Erza's arm.

"What's going on!?" Lucy yelled, tightly holding Erza's right arm. "It's pitch black all of a sudden!"

"What the hell is happening!?" Erza asked, just as the lights slowly began to come back on. Erza and Lucy had to squint as their eyes readjusted to the lights suddenly coming back. The first thing Erza noticed was that Shô was no longer in front of them. "Shô?!"

"Right over here, nee-san." Shô spoke up from behind Erza and Lucy, dropping his stack of cards all around him. Erza and Lucy's eyes widened when they heard soft screams apparently coming from the cards. Lucy gasped, seeing that all of the casino patrons that had been around them were now trapped within Shô's cards. "Don't you think it's a coincidence?" Shô's smirk widened as he held up another card with a person in it. "I learned magic as well."

"Just...what do you..." Erza said, as she struggled to find what she wanted to say.

"Don't worry guys, I'll help you!" Lucy said, picking up the cards that were scattered on the floor. Lucy had only managed to pick up a handful before she suddenly felt something tightly wrap around her and pull her across the floor. The blonde celestial spirit mage immediately began to struggle against the fur covered rope that was binding her. "What is this thing?!"

"Lucy!" Erza exclaimed, as she reached out to the blonde.

"Meow!" Erza's eyes once again widened when she heard a familiar voice. Turning around, Erza saw a brunette girl with cat ears, who was holding a still bound Lucy up. "Super strong, right?"

"Milliana?" Erza breathed out, stunned to see yet another person appearing from her dark past. "You can use magic as well?"

"Long time no see, Er-chan!" Millianna cheered with a wide smile, as she energetically waved at Erza.

"What's the meaning of all this?!" Erza shouted, feeling a wave of anger as she watched Lucy struggle against Milliana's bindings. "Lucy is my nakama! Let her go!"

"Meow? Nakama?" Milliana repeated in a confused tone, as she put a finger to her chin.

"I thought we were your nakama as well, nee-san." Shô revealed, causing Erza to freeze in place.

_"These people...were Erza's nakama?" _Lucy thought, as she felt the bindings around her body slowly being to tighten.

"That is...until you betrayed all of us." Shô said in a menacing tone, glaring at the flustered knight. Erza could't help but squirm and fidget underneath Shô and Milliana's gaze. Erza grit her teeth and hugged herself, as she avoided looking at Shô and Milliana.

"Don't make her too upset Shô." A third voice said, as someone started to materialize out of blocks next to Lucy and Milliana.

_"How many people from my past are here?" _Erza thought, recognizing who the voice belonged to.

"Dandy men know how to maintain their composure...unlike that pink-haired punk back there. Little bastard burned my hand real good." A square looking man said, as she smirked lecherously at Erza. "Mmmm, you turned out to be quite the looker Erza."

"So...you're here to Wally?" Erza asked, as she gazed at yet another blast from her past. "And I see that you can use magic too."

"No need to be so awestruck, Erza..." A fourth voice said from thin air. The ground next to Shô began to glow and a moment later a massive man appeared. "Once that man gets his hands on you anyone would be able to use magic, right Erza?"

"Simon!?" Erza exclaimed, not believing her eyes. _"They're all here...the only person missing is him..." _

"Erza, who the hell are these guys!?" Lucy asked, before she was roughly shoved to the ground by Milliana. "Ugh, why's that Shô guy calling you nee-san?!"

"He's not my brother or anything..." Erza replied in a quiet voice, as she nervously rubbed her arm. "They're all my former nakama."

"Nakama...But I thought you've been in Fairy Tail ever since you were a kid...that's what Natsu told me! You both joined together!" Lucy said, looking up at the flustered knight. Lucy couldn't understand why Erza was acting like this. She was usually so proud and confident, but now she looked afraid and racked with guilt. "What's going on Erza?"

"This...was before I joined Fairy Tail...before I met Natsu..." Erza replied, as she turned to face her old nakama. "What are you all doing here? Please let Lucy go."

"We came to bring you back." Wally said cryptically, his smirk widening.

"Let's head back, nee-san." Shô said, as he extended an arm out to Erza.

"I can-"

"If you insist on being stubborn..." Wally said, pulling a new revolver out of his coat pocket. Lucy squeaked in shock when Wally pulled back the hammer. "I'll kill your little blonde friend here."

"Stop it!" Erza screamed, the fear and worry in her voice surprising her old nakama. "I'm begging you! Don't hurt Lucy! If you hurt her you don't know what Natsu will do to you!" Before Erza could say anymore a loud bang rang out and she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back. Slowly turning her head, Erza saw Wally's gun had warped behind her. "What the..." As soon as the words left Erza's mouth she collapsed into Simon's arms.

"ERZA!" Lucy yelled in a mix worry and anger. _"If they killed her Natsu is going to kill all of them!" _

"Don't worry, it's one of my sleeping bullets." Wally said, putting the revolver back into his coat pocket.

"We got our target." Simon said, as he hoisted Erza over his shoulder. "Let's head back now."

"Hey! Where the fuck do you think you're going! You can't just take Erza like that!" Lucy yelled, her face red in anger as she fiercely struggled against her bindings. "Give her back now!"

"Meow. Keep your mouth shut." Milliana said, as she snapped her fingers. Suddenly the ropes binding Lucy began to tighten even further, making it harder for her to breath. Lucy screamed in pain as her body was stretched even further. "Another five minutes and you'll be cat food..."

"Oh Milliana that reminds me..." Wally said, just as Happy materialized into his arms. "I got you a little gift. I managed to snag him from that brat from earlier."

"Meow! A cute kitty!" Milliana cheered, hugging the unconscious Happy tightly. "Meow! Can I really keep him?!"

"Happy!?" Lucy yelled, shocked to see the blue cat in Wally's possession.

"Nee-san..." Shô said, as tears built up in his eyes. "You're finally coming back home...to the Tower of Heaven. I bet Jellal will be smiling ear to ear when he sees you."

_"T-Tower of H-Heaven?!" _Erza thought, feeling her consciousness slipping from her. _"They actually finished it?!" _

Then in a bright flash of light Erza and her old nakama disappeared from the casino, leaving Lucy struggling to free herself and the other patrons still trapped within Shô's cards. Lucy huffed and grunted as she strained her muscles to reach for the celestial spirit keys in her pocket. The celestial spirit mage let out a slight cheer when she finally managed to snag the keys from her back pocket.

**"Open Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!**" Lucy's eyes widened when she didn't feel her magic pour into Cancer's key. "How!? Why isn't it working!? Taurus! Virgo! Loke! Anybody please help quick!" Lucy grunted when the ropes tightened once again. _"I can't use magic!? This rope is getting tighter every second!" _

"Luce!" Lucy's head whipped around, blonde and pink locks sticking to her face. The blonde celestial spirit mage's eyes lit up when she saw her mate running towards her. Natsu came to a skidding stop and kneeled down next to Lucy. Then, showcasing his impressive strength, Natsu ripped apart the ropes that were holding Lucy. The busty blonde's face tinged bright red when Natsu suddenly pulled her in for a tight hug. "Are you okay Luce?! Are you hurt at all!?"

"No! No! I'm fine Natsu!" Lucy reassured her lover, returning his embrace. However, Natsu was slightly surprised when Lucy suddenly pushed him away. "We have to hurry Natsu! These people saying they were Erza's old nakama took her and Happy!"

"WHAT!?" Natsu roared in fury, as he shot to his feet. The dragon slayer could feel his rage building by the second. How dare they take his mate away from him! "Where are they?! Where did they take MY knight!?"

"They said they were going to some place called the Tower of Heaven." Lucy explained, collecting all of the cards that were scattered on the floor, which still had people trapped inside them. "They also mentioned someone named Jellal being happy to see her." Natsu immediately froze in his tracks when he heard this, something that wasn't missed by Lucy. "What's wrong Natsu?"

"What did you just say?" Natsu asked in a shaky voice, not believing what Lucy had said. _"There's no way she just said Jellal." _

"I said Erza's old nakama mentioned a guy named Jellal would be happy to see her." Lucy replied, walking up to Natsu and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Natsu is everything okay? You looked really shaken up when I said that Jellal guy's name."

"I'm fine Luce, really." Natsu said with a forced grin, as he placed his hand on top of Lucy's. The blonde celestial spirit mage didn't buy it, but she decided it was best not to push the subject right now. Whoever this Jellal person was, he had some type of history with Natsu, that much was obvious. "Come on, let's find Juvia and the ice princess, so we can go save Erza."

"I'm sorry everyone, but we have to get moving." Lucy said, placing the stack of cards on a nearby table. "That spell should wear off soon, but just in case it doesn't I'll alert the magic council and have them send someone over to check up on everyone."

_"There's no way it's actually Jellal." _Natsu thought, as he walked through the trashed casino, his mind racing. _"As far as I know Jellal never met Erza, so why would he be happy to see her? Why would he want to take her in the first place? Wait...if that blue-haired bastard is at some place called the Tower of Heaven...where the hell did he leave Wendy?! I swear to God if he just left her somewhere I'm going to give him a fucking earful! Great, now I __gotta kick his ass for taking my girl and for ditching Wendy."_

"KYA!" Natsu was yanked from his thoughts when he heard Lucy scream in terror. In an instant the dragon slayer was by Lucy's side and he immidiately saw why she had screamed. Gray was a bloodied mess, sitting in the destroyed remains of a table. A bloody pipe was jammed through his chest and he didn't appear to be breathing. "Gray! Please say something! Gray!" Natsu took one whiff of Gray and realized that it wasn't actually him. Then to Lucy's utter shock Natsu kicked Gray in the head, causing him to shatter into dozens of ice chunks. "What the hell Natsu!?"

"Calm down Luce." Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest. "That wasn't really Gray, it was an ice clone." Lucy's eyes widened when Natsu said this. Natsu then gestured behind them, where something seemed to be materializing out of water. "The real ice princess is over there."

"Don't worry Lucy-san." Juvia said, as she pulled herself out of a puddle of water. Without warning a coughing and sputtering Gray fell out of Juvia's liquid body. "Juvia protected Gray-sama with her body."

"In your...body?" Lucy repeated with a weirded out look on her face. The blonde celestial spirit mage squeaked in surprise when Juvia was suddenly right in front of her.

"Yes, Juvia's body, not yours." Juvia said with a victorious smile, knowing that she had a leg up over her love rival.

"Okay..." Lucy said awkwardly, as she turned her head away from Juvia. _"Can't she tell I'm not interested in Gray?" _

"Good thinking Juvia." Natsu said with a grin, giving Juvia a thumbs up. Juvia's face flushed bright red at the dragon slayer's sudden compliment. "You protected the ice princess."

"Well to avoid being discovered by the enemy Juvia had to-"

"You didn't have to do anything! I had it handled!" Gray exclaimed, as he began to wring the water out of his shirt. The ice mage's angry tone shocked Juvia and Lucy, and made Natsu's brow twitch in irritation. "You let that bastard get away, and if I was in your body any longer I might have died!"

"Gray-sama, Juvia is sor-"

"Save it!" Gray cut Juvia off, tossing away his soaked shirt. Juvia looked genuinely hurt by Gray's sudden rude behavior. The water mage was on the verge of tears, but she held them back because she didn't want to look weak. Natsu noticed that Juvia was fighting back tears and this caused his anger to spike once again. But Natsu would have to kick Gray's ass later, because time was of the essence right now. "We don't have time to be dicking around here! Now where's Erza!? We have to go after those bastards!"

_"Silence your anger for now."_

_"You can deal with the ice mage later."_

_"First you must save your other mate." _

"Those guys from earlier took Erza to some place called the Tower of Heaven." Natsu explained, as he began to sniff the air. After a few moments Natsu picked up the blockheaded man's scent. "I got a lock on them! Follow me and don't lag behind!" Natsu began to sprint out of the casino, with Lucy right behind him and Gray and Juvia lagging slightly behind. "Don't think you assholes can get away!"

As the three mages followed after Natsu, Juvia noticed something different about Lucy that she hadn't picked up on before. Because of all the commotion in the casino, Juvia hadn't paid much attention to the streaks of pink hair amongst Lucy's normally blonde locks. But now that things had calmed down slightly, Juvia finally noticed the pink locks as Lucy's hair blowing wildly as she ran behind Natsu.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia asked, getting the ice mage's attention. Gray's irritation had gone down considerably since exiting the casino, but he still frowned when he looked at Juvia. "Why is Lucy-san's hair like that? Juvia remembers Lucy-san's hair being purely blonde when Juvia last saw her."

"It's because she's Natsu's 'mate' or something." Gray replied in an uninterested tone, not noticing that Juvia's eyes widened briefly. "They're dating now I guess...if you want all the details talk to flame brain himself."

"Okay..." Juvia muttered quietly, as she turned to look at Lucy once again. _"So Natsu is in love with Lucy-san...that's a good thing right? Now Juvia won't have to worry about Lucy-san being a love rival anymore...but why does Juvia's heartache when she thinks of Natsu being with another girl? Juvia loves Gray-sama, but Juvia can't help but feel sad when she sees Natsu and Lucy-san together." _

"This is where the trail leads." Natsu's voice pulled Juvia from her thoughts. The water mage was surprised to see that the dragon slayer had lead them onto the beach near the resort. "Wherever those bastards took Erza...it's out on the water somewhere."

* * *

(Same Time; Tower of Heaven)

"Jellal-sama..." A man with dark flowing hair said, approaching the cloaked man's thrown. "We've just received word that Erza Scarlet was successfully captured. The team you dispatched should be back soon." The cloaked man going by the name Jellal smirked from underneath his hood. "But...at this point, why bother capturing that traitor? With your power getting rid of her should have been quite easy."

"Oho, we can't have that." Jellal said in an amused tone, which caused his henchman to quirk an eyebrow. "This world would become quite boring. But now that the Tower of Heaven is complete, letting her live would be quite troublesome. The time has finally come." Jellal's smirk became twisted and evil. "Become my perfect sacrifice...Erza Scarlet."

* * *

(Same Time; Waters North of the Resort)

"Ugh...my head." Erza groaned, as she slowly began to awaken. The scarlet haired knight was immediately aware that she was on some type of ship and that her hands were tied. "Where the hell am I?"

"We're on a ship nee-san." Shô said, walking down the stairs next to Erza. "We're headed to the Tower of Heaven."

"Really?" Erza asked with a said smile, as she released a calming breath. "Is that so...could you please release me? I promise I won't fight."

"No can do nee-san." Shô replied, placing his hands in his pockets. When Erza heard this she immediately began to struggle against her bindings. "You're a traitor nee-san, so you can't be trusted right now. And don't bother trying to break out of those ropes. Milliana's bindings have the power to seal away magic. Not even a powerful mage like yourself could break free."

"I understand...then please let me at least put on my armor." Erza said in a shaky voice, as she hung her head. "Without him...without Natsu...I'm so scared to go back to that tower...he was the only one who could make me forget about that awful place...he's the only one who was able to stop all of my nightmares...he made me feel safe enough to not need my armor...but without him by my side I feel so helpless...if I can put my armor on...I can at least feel a little secure...please I'm begging you..."

"But those clothes suit you too, nee-san." Shô said, crouching down next to Erza. The scarlet haired knight's eyes widened when Shô suddenly hugged her, with tears in his eyes. "I didn't want to do this you, nee-san. I wanted to see you so bad...I really did, nee-san." Erza's eyes filled with guilt and sadness as she listened to Shô "Why...why did you betray us? Why did you betray Jellal!?"

_"Jellal..." _Erza thought, as she remembered her time in the Tower of Heaven. Her heart seemed to beat just a little bit faster when she thought of Jellal and how he used to inspire them as children. How he used to look out for them all and take care of them. Then Natsu's words from earlier that night suddenly hit her like a freight train.

_"I said...I'm not the only man you love..."_

_"There is someone else you love. You can deny it all you want, but I can tell."_

_"Then one day it just seemed to click. That there was another man and your feelings for him were preventing you from being with me."_

_"You can deny it all you want Erza, but deep down you know I'm right."_

_"Natsu...Natsu was...right." _Erza thought, feeling tears sting her left eye. _"I think...I am in love with Jellal...my feelings for him...have been stopping me from moving on to Natsu..." _Erza chocked back a sob as tears freely flowed from her eye now. _"Natsu...I'm so sorry...I had no idea. After seeing you with Lucy I now know how you must have felt when I never reciprocated your feelings...Please come save me from this place Natsu...I promise that when we get __back I'll try being in a relationship with you and other girls...I'll try to not be jealous and be accepting of any girls you choose..." _Erza raised her head to look at the ceiling above her, tears still pouring from her eye. _"Please Natsu...I need my dragon now more than ever." _

* * *

**And done! The Tower of Heaven arc is now officially underway! Erza has been captured, Natsu has learned that the man who wants Erza is possibly his old friend Jellal, and the gang is hot on Erza's trail. I know this isn't a super long chapter, but I felt it was a good place to stop. So what did you guys think? Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (There's over 1,200 followers, let's see if we can get a lot of review for this chapter!), and PM me any ****ideas you have for this fic. **

**Also, don't forget to vote in poll on my profile. And let me know what you think about Brandish and Eileen possibly joining Natsu's harem. The next chapter should be out soon, so be ready for that.**

**So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	25. Chapter 25 Erza's Past

**Hey guys! I said I'd have this chapter out fairly quick and I'm here to deliver. I'm glad you all liked the last chapter and I hope you're all ready for more of the Tower of Heaven arc. I don't know how far we'll get in this chapter, but I hope we can through quite a few manga chapters before I decide to end the chapter. Also I want to thank you all again for your continued support. This fic just passed 600 reviews, and is creeping up on 1,300 followers and 1,200 favorites.**

**P.S. I want to make this abundantly clear. Last chapter I was absolutely not bashing Gray. I will not, and never will, bash any character. I may dislike some characters, but I will never bash them. Bashing characters, in my opinion, is sort of childish, but I guess some people enjoy doing it. Yes, I exaggerated Gray's anger towards Juvia slightly last chapter, but if you go back to the earlier chapters of Fairy Tail, Gray was genuinely a real ass to Juvia up until the Tenrou Island/X791 arcs. It was around these arcs that he started to treat her nicer and wasn't as openly disgusted by her romantic advances. So just know that I may exaggerate Gray's aggressiveness or irritation towards Juvia at some points, but I'm never bashing him. I love Gray, he's my third favorite male character in the series next to Natsu and Gajeel, and I would never think of bashing him.**

**With all of that out of the way, let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still owned by Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

(Several Hours Earlier; Magical Council Meeting Hall)

"What do you mean a fragment of the R-System still remains?!" Org shouted, slamming his fists down onto the table. His one open eye wide with anger and worry. "That's not possible!"

"Eight years ago a dark cult invested a large sum of money to start construction of the R-System." Leiji explained, as he rubbed his chin. "But those seven towers? The council put a halt to their construction. There shouldn't be anything left of them."

"But there was an eighth." Belno said in a frustrated tone, clasping her hands on top of the table. "It's currently off the coast of Kaelum."

"Don't...tell me...it's been completed..." Org said, starting to break out into a cold sweat.

"Our scouts would not lie about something so serious." Belno said in a grave tone, as she softly shook her head.

"So it has been completed." Ultear mused, gazing intently at Siegrain.

"Why in blazes would the R-System pop back up now of all times?" Michello questioned with a hint of annoyance, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"The Tower of Heaven." Siegrain replied cryptically, getting all of his fellow council members' attention. "It's not called the R-System...it's called the Tower of Heaven."

"Yes, I believe that was its other name..." Michello said, as he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "What's your point?"

"Enough, Siegrain!" Org roared, glaring at Siegrain from across the table. "It doesn't matter what the hell we call it! The R-System is a dark and taboo magic! It inflicts incredible harm on anyone subjected to it! It creates untold havoc and chaos!" Org slammed his hands onto the table once again and rose from his seat. "We have to mobilize the army this instant! We need to stop this before it gets out of hand!"

"But Org, we know nothing of our opponents. Perhaps we should do some more recon-" Belno tried to calm her colleagues, but she was but off by Hogg.

"Know nothing!? But Leiji just said-"

"Actually, it appears as though the forces currently occupying the R-System have no connection to the dark cult I mentioned earlier." Leiji interrupted Hogg, before he could go any further.

"What?!" Org yelled, as he turned his attention to Leiji. "Then who are these mysterious new forces?!"

"We don't know all of their current members..." Yajima said, picking up where Leiji left off. The elderly council member cast a suspicious look at Siegrain. "But they're under the supervision of a man named Jellal, a man shrouded in mystery."

"Jellal? I've never heard of anyone by that name." Belno said, as she turned to look at Yajima. "Do we have any possible records on him?"

"Other than his name, we know nothing of his background." Yajima replied, releasing a light sigh. As the council members continued to argue and bicker, no one but Yajima noticed Siegrain and Ultear exchange uneasy looks.

* * *

(Several Hours Later; Back with Natsu's Group)

"Where the hell did you lead us flame brain!?" Gray exclaimed in annoyance, as he continued to row the small boat they had commandeered. "Because it sure as shit looks like we're in the middle of fucking nowhere!"

"It does appear as though we've been drifting aimlessly for quite some time..." Juvia said, glancing at the pink-haired dragon slayer, who's head was currently resting in Lucy's lap. The water mage didn't know why, but she was overcome with jealousy as she watched Lucy gently comb her fingers through Natsu's hair. "But Juvia doesn't think that Natsu would mislead us."

_"Why is Juvia becoming so upset?" _Juvia thought, as she slightly glared at Lucy. _"Lucy-san is no longer Juvia's love __rival, and will no longer get between Gray-sama and Juvia...but when Juvia sees her so close to Natsu...Juvia's heart seems to ache..." _Juvia sighed heavily and gazed longingly at Natsu. _"Juvia wishes she could do that with Natsu..." _Juvia's face suddenly burned bright red when she pictured herself being so intimate with Natsu. But the water mage quickly shook her head to get those thoughts out of her mind. _"No Juvia mustn't think like that...Juvia would be betraying Gray-sama if she thought like that..." _Juvia glanced at Gray and remembered how he had treated her earlier. _"But...Juvia doesn't think it will hurt to imagine..." _

"Hey Natsu..." Lucy whispered, smiling softly down at her mate. "You're absolutely sure it's around here?"

"Y-Yeah, Luce..." Natsu replied in a somewhat groggy tone. The dual dragon slayer did look quite queasy, but thanks to Lucy he was able to keep his composure. "I'm p-positive it's somewhere a-around here..."

"Thank you, Natsu." Lucy said softly, as she placed a kiss on Natsu's cheek. "Now just relax and focus on sniffing out where Erza is."

"Yeah, we're relying on that nose of yours!" Gray said in an irritated tone, stopping for a moment to rest his arms. "So try to get a grip will ya!"

"Gray-sama...Natsu is trying his best to guide us despite being sick." Juvia said barely above a whisper, as she avoided Gray's gaze. "He's not trying to upset you. So please try to go easy on him."

"Whatever." Gray said, crossing his arms over his chest. "As long as we find Erza before something happens to her."

"T-Thanks Juvia..." Natsu said weakly, forcing a toothy grin. "I k-knew you'd have m-my back."

"N-No problem, Natsu." Juvia said, as a fierce blush spread across her face. Juvia quickly turned her head so Natsu wouldn't see the large smile spreading across her face. "T-That's what friends are for."

_"Hmm..." _Lucy thought with a small smile, continuing to stroke Natsu's head. _"Looks like you're already winning her over Natsu. It's only a matter of time now." _

"Damn it!" Gray exclaimed, as he grit his teeth in anger. "I can't believe took Erza and Happy while I was unconscious...how pathetic is that?"

"That's true..." Juvia muttered, looking down at her lap. "To think a mage as strong as Erza would be defeated..."

"There isn't any way she was defeated..." Gray said in a dark tone, as he glared fiercely at Juvia. "You don't know a thing about Erza, so you'd best keep your mouth shut about her." **(A/N Again, I'm not bashing Gray right here. If you go back to this part in chapter 78 of the manga, he says this almost word for word to Juvia, I only added the part at the end. Like I said he was an ass to her at first.)**

"I-I'm sorry, Gray-sama." Juvia said in frightened tone, slightly cowering away from Gray. "Please forgive Juvia."

"Oi!" Natsu exclaimed in anger, as he surprised everyone by standing up. It looked as if the dragon slayer's motion sickness had completely vanished as he stared Gray down. Then to Gray's surprise, Natsu tightly grabbed his shoulder and roughly shoved him down into his seat, rocking the small boat. The ice mage was surprised to see the pure anger in Natsu's eyes. "You don't talk to her like that..." Natsu audibly growled and got right in Gray's face. "Now apologize before I throw your sorry ass overboard."

Gray knew that the dual dragon slayer was dead serious, and his tone showed that there was no room for argument. So Gray hung his head and released an annoyed huff. "Sorry Juvia." The ice mage had turned his head away so everyone wouldn't notice see his face flushed red in embarassment.

"I-It's fine...Juvia shouldn't have said something like that." Juvia said, as she fidgeted with her jacket.

"Good..." Natsu said, just as his motion sickness suddenly returned. Almost immediately the dragon slayer was once again in Lucy's lap, a groaning mess. "Damn it...I was being so cool too..."

_"Natsu is always looking out for me..." _Juvia thought, smiling softly at the dual dragon slayer.

"Erza did mention those guys were her former nakama..." Lucy mused, as she rubbed her chin. "I guess when it comes to Erza...Natsu is the only one who knows a lot about her."

"So flame brain..." Gray said, nudging Natsu with his foot. "You know anything about Erza's former nakama?"

"First...I'm hearing of 'em." Natsu replied, as he suppressed another urge to gag. "W-Whoever these guys are...and wherever they t-took her...Erza never m-mentioned them."

"Hmm, that's odd for Erza not to tell even Natsu something." Lucy muttered, scanning at the horizon ahead of them. The blonde celestial spirit mage's eyes widened when she spotted a looming object in the distance. "Look! There's a tower ahead!" Lucy gulped when she got a better look at the menacing tower ahead of them. "T-That must be...the Tower of Heaven!"

* * *

(Same Time; Tower of Heaven)

"So..." Erza said, as she gazed up at the tower before her. "It's true...it really was completed."

"Well it has been eight years, nee-san." Shô said, shrugging his shoulders. "We were actually the ones to put the finishing touches on this place."

"Enough talking." Simon said, as he shoved Erza forward. "Get moving."

"Fine, I'm going." Erza said quietly, hanging her head. "Eight years...you've all changed so much."

Shô and Simon escorted Erza through the large and imposing tower. After ascending a long winding staircase, Erza was tossed into a small cell, with her hands bound above her head. The cell itself was very small, only sporting a single barred window that barely illuminated the room with pale moonlight.

"The ceremony will be tomorrow at midday." Shô said, as he finished tying Erza's restraints. "I know it's not very appealing, but this will be your quarters until then."

_"Ceremony!?" _Erza thought, her eyes slowly widening. _"Does that mean they're trying to activate the R-System!?"_

"There's no hard feeling, right?" Shô asked, as he placed his hands in his pockets. "You're a traitor, so you dug your own grave, nee-san. Now it's time to lie in it...Jellal is actually pretty pissed at you...He even decided to make you the sacrifice for the ceremony." Erza seemed unfazed by the news and simply glared at Shô. "We won't ever be able to see you again, nee-san. But...it's all for the sake of _heaven_." Erza flinched away when Shô leaned closer. "Are you trembling, nee-san? Does being our sacrificial lamb frighten you? Or is this place brining back some nostalgic memories?"

"Nostalgic isn't the word I'd use..." Erza said, continuing to glare at Shô. The scarlet-haired knight was doing her best to suppress the memories of this awful place. Something that Natsu helped her do. But her mind still wandered to one of their failed escape attempts from the tower. How they had been caught and Jellal had pretended to be the mastermind behind the escape so that the rest of them wouldn't be hurt. But their captors didn't believe Jellal and thought it was actually Erza. Jellal had tried to stop them, but it was in vain. Erza had put on a brave face back then as she was lead into the disciplinary chamber. All the while Shô, the real leader of the escape plan, had remained silent and was too afraid to speak up.

"I'm sorry for putting you through all that back when we were kids, nee-san." Shô apologized, as he gazed down at the floor. "Even though I was the one who planned that escape attempt." Shô released a heavy sigh and his eyes filled with regret. "But...I was such a coward back then...the only thing I could think about was saving myself..."

"I don't care about that anymore. I put all of that behind me a long time ago when I joined Fairy Tail." Erza said, her eyes hardening. "But more importantly, do any of you truly know the risk of using the R-System to resurrect people?"

"Wow, impressed nee-san." Shô said with a small smirk. "You actually know what the R-System is used for..."

"**Revive System**." Erza said, as she continued to glare at Shô. "In exchange for one living sacrifice, one person can be brought back to life. It's a disgusting and forbidden magic that's completely devoid of any humanity."

"From the moment of its creation, magic had nothing to do with humanity." Shô said, wagging his finger. "All magic slowly wears away at humanism."

"Tch, you sound just like those black cult members." Erza said, as she grit her teeth in irritation. "You're all just like them now."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, nee-san." Shô said with a twisted smile, once again leaning extremely close to Erza. "Those foolish cult members could only recognize the R-System as a basic anti-soul **restoration ****magic **device...they all lacked Jellal's _foresight_." Erza flinched away when an insane look spread through Shô's eyes. "He's going to guide us to the 'heaven' that awaits us ahead."

"Heaven?" Erza repeated in a low tone.

"Yes, when Jellal revives 'that' person the world will be reborn again." Shô said cryptically, as he began to laugh hysterically. "And then we shall become that new world's rulers!" Erza watched on as Shô fell further and further into madness. "The remnants of those who stole our freedom...the friends of nee-san who betrayed us...all those ignorant fools living without a care in the world...the idiots on the council...we'll inflict fear and sorrow upon all of them! And then we'll rob everyone of their freedom! We'll be the true rulers of this world!"

_"I won't let you lay a hand on my nakama!" _Erza thought, releasing an audible growl. _"Sorry Shô, but I have to stop you all!" _Before Shô could finish his rant, Erza swiftly smashed her knee into Shô's chin. A sickening crunch was heard as Shô's head snapped back and fell to the ground. Then showing her impressive strength, Erza lifted herself off the ground and quickly gnawed through the ropes around her wrists. A sudden white hot rage filled Erza as her body was engulfed in bright white light. "What have you done to make my friends change so much?!" Erza's face was twisted in anger just as she finished re-equipping into her armor. "I will never forgive you for this Jellal! I'll definitely put an end to this!"

* * *

(Same Time; Milliana's Room)

"Ugh, where am I?" Happy muttered, as he rubbed his throbbing head. The blue cat slowly opened his eyes and was shocked to see that he was in a room filled cat paraphernalia. "CATS! Cats are everywhere!" Happy immediately began to panic and quickly started scanning around the room. "Where the heck am I!? Natsu!? Where are you!?"

"Meow?" Happy nearly jumped off the couch he was standing on when the cat girl from earlier suddenly appeared in front of him. "How's it going?"

"How's...it going?" Happy repeated in a confused tone.

"Meow! It's a talking cat!" Milliana cheered, as her eyes lit up in excitement.

"Milliana..." Wally said, leaning against a nearby wall. "Make it dandier."

"You!?" Happy yelled, as he pointed at Wally. "You're that weird square guy from the casino!"

"It's not a talking cat." Wally said, giving Happy a thumbs up. "It's talking, so that makes it a cat."

"Oh! Now I totally get it!" Milliana exclaimed, as she clapped her hands.

"That...makes no sense at all." Happy said with a sweatdrop, hanging his head in defeat. "Anyway! Where is this place?! Where's Natsu!?"

"Hey cat..." Wally said, as he lit a cigar and took a quick puff. "That little punk should be meeting his maker right now."

"No..." Happy said in a deadpanned voice. "Natsu melted your gun and burned your hand. Then before he could fight you, you teleported away."

"Tch, shut up you stupid-"

"Wally! Milliana!" Simon exclaimed, as he burst into the room. "Erza has escaped!"

"Erza's here!?" Happy said, feeling a large burst of hope. _"If Erza is here then Natsu will definitely be coming to rescue her and I!" _

"Escape, ah that sure brings back memories." Milliana said with a smile.

"Come on Simon, you have to be dandier than that." Wally said, as he took another puff of his cigar. "There's no way she could escape this tower."

"That's the thing, it doesn't look like she's trying to escape." Simon said, causing Wally to quirk an eyebrow. "It appears as if she's heading straight for Jellal. Now come on! We have to stop her!"

"Meow! Wait for me!" Milliana yelled, as she ran after Simon.

"Tch, women are a pain in the ass no matter what time they're from." Wally said, running his hand down his face.

"What the hell is going here?!" Happy muttered to himself.

* * *

(Same Time; Jellal's Throne Room)

"Hahahaha!" Jellal began to laugh hysterically after he received the word that Erza had escaped. "Ah thanks for the update Vidaldus."

"Jellal-sama..." Vildaldus said in a confused tone.

"Heh heh...Erza's an excellent woman just as I suspected...she truly is fascinating." Jellal said, resting his head on his fist. "Will I be victorious? Or will it be Erza? I say we enjoy it...dancing together between life and death...past and future. The game of heaven."

"But what of the council?" Vidaldus asked, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Their moves are quite concerning."

"Oh..." Jellal said, a large smirk spreading across his face. "I wouldn't about the council too much."

* * *

(Ten Minutes Later; Magical Council Meeting Hall)

"The R-System ignores the law of human life and death. It's an extremely dangerous magic, that can give rise to chaotic ideas." Org said, as he gazed at his fellow council members. "Whoever's occupying that tower now, we must consider them our enemy! We have to dispatch the army immediately!"

"You're all weaklings." Siegrain muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear him.

"How dare you Siegrain!" Belno exclaimed in an offended tone.

"You all don't seem to get it." Siegrain said, slamming his hands onto the table. "I'm telling you all now that as far as I'm concerned, simply dispatching the army is weak-willed. It's dangerous...far too dangerous."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Belno asked, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Since we're all so weak-willed and you apparently seem to have all the answers."

"You people don't understand anything!" Siegrain exclaimed, surprising all of his fellow council members. "Right now there's only one way to destroy the Tower of Heaven! **Satellite Square: Etherion**!"

"Are you insane!?" Belno shouted, as she sharply rose from her seat. "That's magic so destructive that it transcends space and time! Do you have any idea how much damage that weapon could cause!? It has the power to single-handidly wipe out an entire country!"

"Yes! **Etherion **is our ultimate weapon!" Org yelled, quickly backing Belno. "It's far more dangerous than the R-System."

"But **Satellite Square** can target anything on the planet's surface." Siegrain reasoned, balling his fists on the table. "And if we want to destroy that huge tower, **Etherion** is the only option."

"I must agree with him." Ultear said, as she raised her hand. "I truly see no other reasonable options."

"There are nine of us." Yajima said, crossing his arms over his chest. "If three more members agree with this, we'll use **Etherion**."

"We don't have time for this!" Siegrain yelled, as he glared at Yajima. "The R-System must not be used!"

"Tch, I don't like this but we must stop the R-System." Leiji said, raising his hand. "I also vote to use **Etherion**."

"We still need two more votes!" Siegrain pleaded, frantically looking at his fellow council members. "There's no time left!"

* * *

(Back in the Tower of Heaven)

"Out of my way!" Erza roared, slashing her way through a wave of guards. The scarlet-haired knight was storming through the tower at a breakneck pace, taking out anything in her path as she searched for Jellal. After dispatching the latest group of guards, Erza grabbed one of the ones still conscious by his throat and slammed him against the wall. The guard's eyes shot open when Erza pressed her blade against her cheek. When Erza next spoke, her voice was calm and menacing. "Where is Jellal? I won't ask twice."

As Erza grilled the guard for information, Natsu and his group had just arrived at the base of the tower. But the group was immediately halted when they saw the sheer number of guards protecting the Tower's entrance. The group quickly took cover near the water so that they wouldn't be seen while they formulated a plan. Juvia had quickly volunteered to search for a possible entrance under the and disappeared underneath the waves.

"That's a whole lot of guards." Gray said, as he peeked over the pile of rocks they were hiding behind.

"Who cares?" Natsu asked, tapping his foot impatiently. The dual dragon slayer could feel his irritation growing by the second. His mate was in that tower, possibly in danger, and here he was sitting outside doing nothing. Natsu needed to hit something, and he needed to hit it soon. "Please just let me plough right through them! It would only take a second!"

"Please calm down Natsu." Lucy said, as she rested a hand on Natsu's shoulder. This seemed to have the desired effect, as Natsu stopped impatiently tapping his foot. "They have Erza and Happy in there. One wrong move and we'll be putting them in danger." Lucy suddenly released a light sigh and glanced at the tower ahead of them. "Still, that tower is right ahead of us. If we're discovered, we won't stand a chance out here."

"Hopefully Juvia finds a way for us." Natsu said, gazing at the water behind them. Almost as if on cue Juvia rematerialized out of the water. "Well would you look at that...so did you find anything Juvia?"

"Yes, Juvia has found a way into the tower's basement through the water." Juvia said, as she pulled her self back onto the land.

"Nice job, Juvia!" Gray said, giving Juvia's a thumbs up. The water mage blushed brightly, because of Gray's compliment.

"U-Uh, it will take about ten minutes underwater." Juvia explained, as she fought back her raging blush. Regaining her composure, Juvia formed a sphere of water in her hand. "Please wear this. This will use water to enclose your head, allowing you to breath underwater."

"Awesome work Juvia!" Natsu cheered, placing the ball of water on his head. "Alright guys let's get in there!"

* * *

(Ten Minutes Later; Tower of Heaven's Basement)

"So this is the tower's basement?" Gray asked no one in particular, as he scanned around the empty room.

"Erza and Happy are in here somewhere, so we better hurry." Lucy said, wringing the water out of her clothes.

"Oi!" A sudden yell caused everyone's heads to snap up. Natsu's group was surprised to see that they had already been spotted by a passing group of guards. The guards has been walking past on a walkway above them and had happened to spot them. "Who the hell are you guys!?"

"Oh shit!" Lucy exclaimed, as she reached for her celestial spirit keys.

"We've already come this far..." Gray said, gathering ice magic in his palm. "Looks like we'll just have to fight them."

"Juvia agrees." Juvia said, as he body became surrounded by a flurry of water.

"You want to know who we are!" Natsu roared, slamming a flaming fist into one of the walkway's support pillars. The pillar exploded and rest of the walkway burst into flames. "We're from Fairy Tail and we're here to get my knight back!" Immidiately the basement turned into a raging battleground. But since none of the guards knew how to use magic, they were all at a severe disadvantage.

"I got you!" A guard yelled, as he swung his sword at Lucy. But the guard was surprised to see Lucy easily backflip and dodge his attack.

"**Open Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!**" The celestial spirit emerged in a bright flash of gold light and attacked the guard, knocking him out. "Great job cancer!"

"It's always a pleasure, ebi" Cancer said with a grin.

"It's two on one, we got her!" A guard yelled, as he charged towards Juvia with his friend. However, the guards were shocked when their blades simply passed through Juvia's body, leaving the water mage completely unharmed. "W-What the hell is she?!"

"**Water Slicer!**" With a flick of her wrist a blade of water cut both guards down. "Do not underestimate Juvia and her water."

"**Ice Make: Hammer!**" Gray formed a ice giant hammer and slammed it into a large group of guards. "Heh, you guys weren't so tough."

"**Lightning Dragon's Roar!**" Natsu's cheeks bulged as he unleashed a powerful stream of lightning, taking out almost a dozen guards instantly. "Stay the hell out of our way!" After a few more minutes the fighting had died down, with Natsu's group coming out completely unscathed. Natsu was just about to tell everyone to search for an exit, but a sudden creaking sound caught his attention. Looking upwards, Natsu spotted above them trapdoor had been opened. "Hey guys some door just opened!" Once everyone had gathered around, Natsu crossed his arms over his chest. "They're definitely calling us out." Natsu's eyes narrowed as he imagined what could possibly lay before them. _"Jellal...what are you planning?" _

* * *

(Jellal's Thrown Room)

"Jellal-sama how could you simply let the intruders in like that?!" Vidaldus exclaimed, completely baffled by his master's actions. "What were you possibly thinking?!"

"I've told you before, this is all merely a game." Jellal replied, a cocky smirk on his face. "All this means is that those guys passed a level. Hahaha, this has truly gotten intriguing. I wonder what will happen next?"

"But Jellal-sama, if we don't quickly proceed with the ceremony, sooner or later the council will come after us." Vidaldus reasoned, which caused Jellal's smirk to widen even further.

"Vildaldus...you're still worried about that?" Jellal asked with a slight chuckle. "It can't be stopped anymore."

* * *

(Back With Natsu's Group)

"Hey you square headed fucker!" Natsu roared, as he stormed through the Tower of Heaven's halls. "Where the fuck are you?! And where did you take Erza and Happy?!"

"Natsu stop!" Lucy hissed, slapping a hand over Natsu's mouth. "We're in the middle of the enemy's base! We don't need you giving our position away! I get that you're upset, but please don't yell."

"I agree with Lucy-san." Juvia chimed in, as she walked up to Natsu. "We don't want to ruin any element of surprise we have left. So please keep your voice down Natsu. We'll fine Erza and Happy eventually, but there's no need to make our task more difficult."

"Fine, I'll try to keep it down." Natsu relented, releasing a heavy sigh. It would be enough for Lucy to make the request, but since another one of his potential mates backed her up there was no way Natsu could refuse; his body and mind simply wouldn't let him.

"Yeah, we could only go crazy earlier because we were underground." Gray said, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "So calm down hothead."

"It's quite strange..." Juvia said, crouching next to the trapdoor they had emerged from. "This door wasn't opened by someone on the other side. It's being remotely controlled by magic. So the enemy must be completely aware of our movements. I guess that gets rid of any element of surprise we had."

"If that's true, then who opened the door?" Lucy asked, as she rubbed her chin. "We're the enemy so why let us in willingly?"

"It's probably like flamebrain said." Gray said, crossing his arms over his chest. "They're trying provoke us into fighting them." It was then that Gray took notice of Lucy's appearance. Without anyone noticing, Lucy had slipped into an entirely new outfit. The blonde celestial spirit mage was wearing an elaborately designed green dress, with a green bandana on her head. "Actually...when did you change?"

"These clothes are from the celestial spirit world!" Lucy said with a small smirk, as she flaunted slightly for Natsu. "I just hate wearing wet clothes, so I asked Cancer to bring me these earlier. So..." Lucy strode over to Natsu and wrapped her arms around his neck. "How do I look Natsu?"

"Y-You look amazing Luce." Natsu replied, a blush spreading across his face. As much as Natsu loved seeing Lucy without her clothes on, he had to admit she looked great in her new outfit. "And if we weren't trying to save Erza and Happy now, I'd rip those clothes off you and tear into you for teasing me earlier in the casino."

"Mmmm, I'll be looking forward to that once this is all over." Lucy said, as she ran her hand down Natsu's cheek. "Now let's find Erza and Happy and get out of here."

_"How can they act like that in public?" _Juvia thought, staring at the couple with a faint blush across her face. The water mage sighed and gazed at Gray out of the corner of her eye. _"Juvia wishes Gray-sama would look at her like that..." _She then turned to look at Natsu once again. _"Juvia wishes anyone would look at her like that..." _

"There they are!" The sounds of approaching guards immidiately put everyone on alert. "We have to stop the intruders!"

"Man these guys never quit." Natsu said, sliding into a fighting stance as his entire body became engulfed in flames. But before the guards could attack a scarlet blur mercilessly cut through their ranks. After a few moments all of the guards were defeated and Erza Scarlet stood before them. "ERZA!?" Natsu wasted no time, running up to Erza and wrapping his arms around her. "I'm so glad you're not hurt."

"N-Natsu?" Erza breathed out, as her mind tried to process that the dragon slayer was actually there. Once Erza was sure that Natsu was actually hugging her, tears stung her left eye. "Natsu!" Erza immidiately returned Natsu's embrace as her tears fell onto his shoulder. "I knew you'd come save me. I knew you'd never abandon me."

"Of course I'd save you." Natsu said with a warm smile, locking eyes with the scarlet-haired knight. "A dragon has to protect his knight." Erza chocked back a sob and returned Natsu's smile. Both mages soon got lost in the other's eyes and they began to lean closer. Natsu's heart thundered in hist chest as years of pent up love and passion bubbled inside him. He would show Erza just how much he loved her and prove to her that he was the man that she deserved. The rest of Natsu's group watched with bated breath as Natsu and Erza drew closer and closer together. Juvia in particular was near fluorescent red, steam practically blowing from her ears. But just as Natsu's lips grazed Erza's, the scarlet-haired knight quickly pulled back. Erza's face was flushed red and she clutched a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

"N-Natsu I'm sorry...I can-"

"*Sigh* He's here isn't he?" Natsu asked in a voice full of frustration and pain. The dragon slayer crossed his arms over his chest and looked Erza dead in the eyes. "The other man you love, he's in this tower isn't he? That's why you couldn't kiss me, right?"

"No...Natsu-"

"Please don't try and argue Erza." Natsu said, releasing another heavy sigh. "Your face and the way you're acting are a dead giveaway. If that other guy is here then that's great. I can finally meet him and you can work on getting your feelings together. Once this is all over you can decide which of us you truly love." Natsu forced a grin and patted Erza on the shoulder. "Now I gotta hurry up and get Happy, so we can get the hell out of here."

_"Jellal, if you're really here we need to talk." _Natsu thought, as he stormed out of the room. _"I don't see you for seven years and when we finally reunite you take my girl and my friend! You've got some serious explaining to do!"_

"Natsu you can't! You all should leave-" But it was too late, the dual dragon slayer had already left in search of Happy. That left a bewildered Erza with the rest of the group.

"Oi Erza, what the hell is going on?" Gray asked, as he walked up to the scarlet-haired knight.

"I'll take care of Natsu and Happy." Erza said, turning her head to look at Gray and the rest of the group. "The rest of you need to get away from here right away."

"There's no way we could do that!" Lucy exclaimed, as she took a step forward. "We're definitely not leaving without you!"

"Please..." Erza pleased, tightly balling her fists and turning away from everyone. "This is my problem and I don't want any of you getting involved. It's already bad enough that you had to come all the way out here to try and save me."

"It's too late for us to not be involved." Gray reasoned, as he shrugged his shoulders. "You saw flamebrain run off now, and we've already taken out a bunch of their guards. We're already tangled in this mess, so there's no point backing out now."

"Erza...what is this tower?" Lucy asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "Who is this Jellal guy? Do you and Natsu know him? Because Natsu seemed to tense up when I mentioned his name." Lucy suddenly hung her head and avoided looking at Erza. "Though, it's okay if you don't wanna tell us...I know you said those guys were your friends before, but we're your nakama now..." When Lucy raised her head, she smiled softly at Erza. "We'll always be here for you, Erza...Especially Natsu and I, we'll always be at your side."

"G...Go..." Erza stuttered out, as she began to slightly shake.

"This really isn't like you Erza." Gray pointed out, placing his hands on his hips. "Why don't you stop saying all this useless stuff and give us some orders to follow you like usual? We'll help you out, even you're allowed to be scared sometimes." When Erza turned to face everyone, Gray was surprised that she had tears in her eye. "Shit, I didn't meant to make you cry Erza."

"Sorry." Erza muttered, as she wiped the tears from her eye. "In this fight...whether we win or lose...I don't think I'll make it back."

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "We won't let anything like that happen!"

"What are you talking about Erza!?" Gray asked, as his eyes filled with worry. "What do you mean you won't make it back!?"

"It's an almost unavoidable future. So..." Erza replied, a small smile spreading across her face. "So while I'm still here I'll tell you everything I know." Erza took a deep breath to calm her nerves before she recited what she knew. "The name of this tower is the Tower of Heaven. Otherwise known as the **R-System**. About a decade ago a cult studying black magic tried to build a tower whose magic could bring the dead back to life." Everyone's eyes widened when Erza said this. "The project wasn't sanctioned by the magical council or the government, so the cult members forced hundreds of people to work as slaves on the construction...When...When I was young, I was one those people forced to build the tower."

"Erza..." Lucy breathed out, cupping a hand over her mouth. _"I never knew something like that happened to her. Natsu never mentioned anything like this...does that mean she hasn't even told Natsu this?" _

"That's when I first met Jellal..." Erza began to recall her escape from the Tower of Heaven. How Jellal had inspired her to start a revolt after he had taken her place in the rehabilitation chamber; she also mentioned that her stay in the rehabilitation chamber was the reason she now had an artificial right eye. After returning to her cell and hearing the cry and complaints from her friends, Erza had attacked the guards and began rally the rest of the slaves to revolt. "For the sake of freedom...and rescue Jellal, we revolted against our captors...back then Jellal was our leader...he had such a strong sense of morality and justice...I admired and looked up to him more than anyone else...However, after his stay in the rehabilitation center Jellal became a very different person...if you could ever call someone truly evil, that's probably what you'd call whatever Jellal became."

After taking another calming breath, Erza began her tale once again. After escaping their cells, Erza and her friends began to fight their way towards Jellal. Erza was dead set on saving him at all costs, there was no way she was going to leave him behind after all he'd done for her. Eventually the cult members had brought in their mages to squash the revolt. One by one the revolters were taken out by the cult's mages, until Erza was the only one who remained on the frontline. Erza was so caught up in rallying everyone that she didn't notice that an enemy spell was coming towards her until it was far too late. Clenching her eye shut, Erza prepared for the spell to hit...but it never did. When Erza reopened her eye, she was shocked to see that one of her fellow slaves, an elderly man named Rob, had jumped in front of her. The elderly man had taken the brunt of the spell and was covered in injuries. As the smoke encasing Rob began to dissipate, the elderly man told Erza that she had unlimited potential and that if she dug deep into her heart she would be able to unlock her magical potential. As Rob breathed his dying breath, Erza had spotted the Fairy Tail mark emblazoned on his back.

Erza released an anguished scream as she cried over Rob's body. All around Erza the ground began to crumble and shake as she unconsciously tapped into her magic. Then everyone watched in awe as all the discarded weapons around Erza began to rise into the air. Giving another anguished cry, the weapons began to attack the enemy mages. Summoning two swords into her hands, Erza once again rallied her fellow slaves and began to fight her way towards Jellal once again. After almost an hour, Erza finally managed to find Jellal. But what Erza found wasn't the Jellal she knew anymore. Erza had cut Jellal free and was helping him towards the boats they had secured. But Jellal broke free from Erza's grasp and began to speak of true freedom in 'Zeref's world.' Jellal then said that he'd be the one to complete the tower. Then to Erza's horror, Jellal began to use magic to repeatedly slam the surviving cult members into the stone walls; their blood pooling on the floor.

Erza tried to convince Jellal to leave with them, but he wished for her to stay and complete the **R-System **with him. Seeing that Erza wasn't going to comply, Jellal used his magic to send Erza flying across the room. Jellal said he'd allow Erza to leave by herself, but he was keeping everyone else, because he'd need sufficient manpower to finish the tower. Once again Erza tried desperately to convince Jellal, but he wouldn't listen to her. Jellal had used his magic to form hands that began to choke Erza, effectively silencing her pleading. Then Jellal warned Erza that if she told the government or if she ever returned to the tower, that he'd have to kill everyone to help bury the evidence. Then with tears streaming from her eyes, Erza lost consciousness. When Erza awoke she was on a random beach, far away from the Tower of Heaven. Erza began to roam around aimlessly, until she heard of a mage guild named Fairy Tail. Instantly she recognized the guild's mark as the one that was on Rob's back. Deciding that it was her only option at the moment, Erza started her journey to Fairy Tail. Along the way she met a strange boy named Natsu Dragneel, whom she had quickly befriended. Natsu was a loudmouth and was very energetic, but he somehow managed to put her at ease and bring a smile to her face despite the dark event that had just transpired. After learning that Natsu was also heading to Fairy Tail, Erza decided that she would make the rest of the journey with him. And from there the rest was history.

"I..." Erza said, finishing her tale. Everyone stood in stunned silence, as they watched Erza begin to shake once again; tears falling from her left eye. "I want...no...I have to fight Jellal."

* * *

**And done! So all the players are now in the tower, and Natsu has stormed off in search of Happy and possibly Jellal. Erza has told everyone, minus Natsu, about her past. Next chapter will begin with the magical council once again before we can get back to the action in the tower. The next chapter will be the last quick update chapter for now, and I should have it out soon. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (Come on guys! Let's see if we can really pick it up with the reviews.), and PM me any ideas you have for any of my fics. Also if haven't remember to vote in the poll on my profile. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	26. Chapter 26 Diving Into the Pits of Hell

**Hey my faithful readers, I'm back with the last quick update chapter. This chapter will delve even deeper into the Tower of Heaven arc, and will have more action than the previous chapters. I don't know how much farther we'll get in this chapter, but I hope we can get a decent amount done. At the current pace we're going, I guesstimate that we'll be done with the Tower of Heaven arc in about three to four chapters. So I hope you're all looking forward to what's coming ahead. Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic. **

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still owned by Hiro Mashima. **

* * *

(Same Time; Magical Council Meeting Room)

"In order to wipe the Tower of Heaven off the face of this world...to prevent Jellal from using the R-System!" Siegrain exclaimed, as he continued to try and convince his fellow council members. "Aside from using **Square Satellite: Etherion**, we have no other options!"

"The R-System has been forbidden ever since ancient times." Ultear chimed in, clasping her hands on top of the table. "I think we all understand the implications here." As Ultear watched the council members yell and bicker, she rested her head on her hand and let her mind wander. She knew that she needed to try and convince these old geezers to use **Etherion**. But her mind had frequently been drifting elsewhere lately, ever since she returned from Galuna Island to be precise. What was she thinking about so often? Well Ultear had become rather captivated by Natsu Dragneel. She couldn't exactly explain why, but her mind always seemed to wander towards thoughts about him. The dual dragon slayer had sparked immense curiosity and intrigue inside Ultear after their brief encounter. Natsu was the first mage in quite a while to actually challenge her, to push her to actually put some effort into fighting. The dual dragon slayer was also the first mage in many years to actually hurt her in combat, the fading bruise on her stomach was a testament to that, and that earned him a great deal of her respect. His determination to protect his friends and complete his mission, no matter the cost to himself, also fascinated Ultear to no end. Then there was the raw and immense power he exerted when they fought. Ultear still got shivers when she remembered the way he crushed her crystal ball with his bare hands. Just one short meeting and Ultear was completely bewitched by Natsu. Ultear didn't understand why, but she felt strong urge to learn more about Natsu, and she couldn't wait until she met him once again. _"Mmm, I wonder what my little Natsu-kun is doing right now? Probably risking life and limb to save Erza and stop Jellal's little plan. I wish I could ditch this meeting and head over there myself. I'm dying to watch him fight again, and I have a feeling that I'm going to miss something truly special from him. Ah, but we'll meet again some day Natsu-kun, that I can guarantee...Hmm, I wonder if he's thought about me at all since we last met?"_

"Ultear!" Org's sudden exclamation snapped Ultear out of her thoughts. "Are you finished daydreaming?! Because we're trying to discuss extremely important matters right now."

"Sorry, Org-sama." Ultear apologized, as she bowed her head. "I promise it won't happen again."

"Tch, that's what you said the first five times." Org said, releasing a heavy sigh and stroking his beard. "Now where was I...oh yes that's right. Siegrain, using **Etherion** would mean destroying that tower completely. That includes any possible innocent bystanders. Every living thing in that tower will be incinerated."

"To protect the magical world..." Siegrain said, as his eyes hardened. "That's a price I'm willing to pay."

"It's just as Siegrain says..." Reiji said, slowly shaking his head. "We've all gotten here because of the sacrifices of many others. That's also prevalent in the world of magic we live in today."

"But Reiji-sensei!" Hogg exclaimed, as he rose from his seat. "If we unilaterally attack Kaelum's soil, it will leave a dark stain all throughout history."

"*Sigh* Then that's a sacrifice we'll have to make." Belno said, shocking most of her fellow council members. "One cannot return from the dead. These foolish children must understand and cherish the value of life. I see no other way around it. I approve the use of **Etherion**."

"What?!" Org roared, as he slammed his fists onto the table. "I can't believe what I'm hearing! Especially from you Belno!"

_"It's almost as if we're walking into his trap..." _Yajima thought, releasing a light sigh as he glanced at Siegrain. _"I have no way to prove it, but something doesn't feel right." _

"We just need one more." Siegrain said, as he locked eyes with the council members that still opposed him. "If we want to stop the R-System, we must use **Etherion**."

* * *

(Back at the Tower of Heaven; Jellal's Thrown Room)

"Just one more, eh?" Jellal said of the blue, surprising Vidaldus. "It won't be much longer now..."

"What?" Vidaldus asked, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Did you say something Jellal-sama?"

"Nothing..." Jellal replied with a small smirk. "Just talking to myself...just one more person before this little game is all over...hahaha!"

* * *

(With the Fairy Tail Mages)

"Hold on sec Erza..." Gray breathed out, shocked by the story the scarlet-haired knight had just told. "That Zeref guy you just mentioned..."

"Yes...he's known as the most brutal and cruel dark mage in the history of magic." Erza explained, as she tightly balled her fists.

"You know now that you mention it..." Lucy muttered, rubbing her chin as she thought. "The monster summoned by **Lullaby **was a demon created by the **_Book of Zeref_**."

"Not only that..." Erza said, as she turned to face Gray. "Deliora might have been a demon from the _**Book of Zeref **_as well." Gray's eyes shot open when Erza said this. "A mage as powerful as Zeref was rumored to be could create such terrifying demons with minimal effort."

"So that's the Zeref Jellal wishes to revive?" Juvia breathed out, beginning to break out into a cold sweat. "If a dark mage as powerful as him were to be revived..."

"I'm not entirely sure what his true motive is..." Erza said, as glared at the ground. "According to my old nakama, when Zeref is revived they'd become the ruler's of _heaven_."

"When you explain it that way, I really don't understand your old friends." Lucy said, placing her hands on her hips. "They kept calling you a traitor, but from what you've told us Jellal seems to be the real traitor."

"I have no idea what nonsense Jellal has been filling their heads with ever since I escaped the Tower of Heaven..." Erza said, as she released a heavy sigh. "But I did abandon them for almost eight years. I guess that itself is a type of betrayal. Now if can just take out Jellal, this'll all be over."

_"Is that really so?" _Gray thought, giving Erza a suspicious look as her words from earlier ran through his mind. _"Her words seemed to have a much deeper meaning." _

"We've wasted enough-"

"Nee-san." Everyone whipped around when the newcomer made his presence know. Erza was shocked to see that Shô was conscious and walking towards them. "What you just said...what did you mean?"

"Shô..." Erza muttered, as she gave her old friend a sympathetic look.

"Everything you just said is utter nonsense! You're just trying to earn sympathy from your friends aren't you?!" Shô exclaimed, fiercely glaring at Erza. "The truth is absolutely nothing like what you said! Seven years ago, you were the one who bombed our escape ships and ran off by yourself, weren't you?! If Jellal hadn't uncovered your betrayal we all would have been killed! Jellal told us all! This was the fate of those who cannot control magic! You became drunk with your new power and gave up on us! You-"

Shô was cut off by a harsh slap to the face. Looking down, Shô was shocked to see that it was Lucy who had slapped him. The blonde celestial spirit mage's jaw was clenched and her fists were tightly balled. Lucy's eyes were filled with anger as she glared at Shô. Tears stung Lucy's eyes as she roughly grabbed Shô's jacket.

"How dare you!" Lucy screamed right in Shô's face, which caused the young man to flinch. "You call yourself one of Erza's nakama! Then how the hell can you possibly believe that Erza would do something like that?! Erza is one of the kindest and most loyal people I know! She would never betray her nakama like that!" Lucy growled and shoved Shô onto the ground. "I won't have you speak of her as if she's some kind of monster!"

_"Lucy..." _Erza thought with a small smile, grateful that the blonde had stuck up for her like that.

"You fools don't understand anything!" Shô yelled, as he scrambled back to his feet. "You don't know a single thing about us! I was saved thanks to Jellal! Therefor we all built this tower for the last eight years! For Jellal!" Shô suddenly hung his head and clenched his fists. "So...all of this...has been a lie?" Shô's head snapped up and he glared at everyone. "If what nee-san has said is true, then everything Jellal said has been a lie?!"

"That's right." Simon said, surprising everyone as he walked up behind Shô.

"You bastard!" Gray exclaimed, as he tried to rush forward and attack Simon. But he was stopped when Juvia grabbed his shoulder. "Let go Juvia! This is the guy-"

"Please wait Gray-sama..." Juvia said, turning to lock eyes with Simon. "When this man attacked us at the casino, he definitely knew that was merely an ice clone of Gray-sama, yet he attacked it anyway. No dark mage wouldn't have detected that. If he was truly trying to kill us he would have easily found us. Juvia wished to confirm this, that is one of the reasons Juvia tagged along."

"Heh, no wonder you were one of Phantom Lord's Elemental Four." Simon said with a hidden smile. "I never planned on killing you back then. In order to trick Shô and the others I was simply going to knock you unconscious. With that ice clone I was able to make your 'death' much more believable."

"You were just messing with us?" Shô asked, as he hung his head.

"Well you, Wally, and Milliana, everyone had been fooled by Jellal." Simon explained, patting Shô on the shoulder. "I waited for the right time and pretended to believe Jellal as well." A slight blush suddenly spread across Simon's face as he scratched his cheek. "I believed Erza from the beginning and I never doubted her. It's been that way for seven years." Simon slowly walked up to Erza and pulled her in for a tight hug. The scarlet-haired knight felt tears prick her left eye as she hugged her old friend. "I'm so glad I was able to see you again, Erza."

"How...how could you trust her like that?" Shô asked in a shaky voice, as he tightly clenched his eyes shut. "How? Why...Why can't I trust nee-san, trust her like you do?" Letting out pained scream, Shô slammed his fists onto the ground. "DAMN IT! RAGH! Who the hell is telling the truth!? Who am I supposed to trust!?"

"Shô..." Erza said in a motherly tone, crouching next to the crying young man. "I know it's hard dealing with everything you've just heard...but please just let me say a few words. During these past seven years I never forgot about any of you." Erza gently gripped Shô's head and hugged him against her armored chest. "I couldn't do anything because I was too weak...I'm truly sorry for that."

"But I can see that you're ready now." Simon said, as he smiled at Erza. "Isn't that right? I've been waiting quite a while for this moment. Now that all these powerful mages are gathered in one place."

"Powerful mages?" Lucy parroted, quirking a blonde eyebrow.

"We'll fight Jellal with all of our combined strength." Simon said, as he gazed at all of the mages gathered before him. "But first we must stop Salamander and Wally's impending battle." Erza, Lucy, and Juvia's eyes widened when Simon said this. "Salamander's power is absolutely crucial if we wish to take Jellal down."

"Well lead the way!" Erza exclaimed in a serious tone. "We have to protect Natsu!"

_"Looks like I was too late..." _Simon thought with a sad smile. "Alright follow me." Simon took off down one of the nearby corridors, with everyone else following closely behind. As they ran, Simon pressed his middle and index finger to his temple. But he cursed when all he heard was static. "Damn it! My connection with Wally and Milliana is being jammed! Now I have no idea where they are!"

"So he is using **Thought Transmission Magic**." Juvia muttered underneath her breath.

"Hey..." Gray whispered to Juvia, so that Simon wouldn't hear him. "Are you really sure we should be trusting this guy? I mean I understand that he wasn't really trying to kill us, and that's great and all, but in that situation Lucy could have died if flamebrain hadn't shown up."

"I don't plan on making any excuses." Despite being quite, Simon had overheard what Gray had said. "If you were the type of mages that would die easily..."

"Then you never could have tried to fight Jellal." Gray finished, now understanding what Simon was planning.

"Besides I had faith that Natsu and Lucy would survive." Simon said, as he turned to give Lucy a thumbs up. Lucy merely chuckled and smiled awkwardly. "You people have yet to see Natsu's 'true' power. When Natsu hold the true power of a dragon...evil will perish before him."

_"Natsu has even more power residing within him?" _Lucy thought, her eyes widening considerably. _"And what is the 'true' power of a dragon?"_

_"That power he used against Phantom Lord...that wasn't his true power?" _Erza thought, as her heart rapidly beat in her chest. _"Just how much power is lying dormant within Natsu?"_

* * *

(Same Time; With Natsu)

"Happy!" Natsu exclaimed, wondering aimlessly through the tower's winding corridors. The dual dragon slayer could find a hint of Happy's scent in the air, but it was very muddled and hard to track. "Where the hell are they keeping Happy?" As Natsu turned down another random hallway, Happy's scent suddenly became much more prevalent. "Happy is definitely somewhere around here." Opening the first door he saw, Natsu's jaw hung open when he stumbled upon a room filled to the brim with cat memorabilia. "What kind of room is this? There's cat stuff everywhere." Natsu walked up to a dresser and picked up a large cat mask. "Heh, this thing is pretty cool." Suddenly Natsu felt an overwhelming urge to put the cat head on. However, Natsu shook his head and put the cat head back onto the dresser. "I don't think it'd be a good idea to put that thing on." As Natsu continued to search through the room, he didn't notice a newcomer silently teleport in.

"This is the end for you punk." Wally muttered, as he pulled back the hammer of his new revolver. But before Wally could pull the trigger, someone tried to wrestle the gun away from him.

"No!" Milliana yelled, trying to grab the revolver out of Wally's hands.

"Milliana! What the hell are you doing?!" Wally exclaimed, as he fought off the wild cat girl.

"There you are!" Natsu shouted, turning to face Wally, lightning crackling off his fists. "I finally found you, you square bastard!"

"Milliana that was my perfect chance to kill this bastard!" Wally yelled, as he glared at Milliana. "Why the hell would you interfere like that!?"

"The nice flying kitty told me that's his friend!" Milliana replied, frantically pointing at Natsu. "And I don't want to make the flying kitty sad! So I won't let you hurt him!"

"Don't think I've forgotten what you tried to do back at the casino!" Natsu roared, as he charged towards Wally. "I'm going to kick your square ass!"

"Out of the way!" Wally exclaimed, shoving Milliana out of the way. "He's our enemy Milliana and I'm going to take him down!" Suddenly Wally's body broke apart into several separate pieces. "Let's see how you like this! **Polygon Attack!**" The floating pieces of Wally's body began to shoot towards Natsu. The dual dragon slayer easily dodged the attacks and began to advance towards Wally. "Milliana he's our enemy, back me up here!"

"No!" Milliana replied, as she rapidly shook her head. "I won't hurt the flying kitty's friend!"

"Why you little-"

"**Lightning Dragon's Wing Attack!**" Natsu grabbed ahold of Wally's head and hit him with a large amount of powerful electricity. Then Natsu hurled Wally over his shoulder, hitting him with even more lightning as he flew off. Moments later Wally crashed into the ground, knocked unconscious by Natsu's powerful attack. "That's payback for almost shooting me in the mouth." Releasing a light sigh, Natsu turned to Milliana. "Thanks for having my back there...uh I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, I'm Milliana." The cat girl said, as she energetically shook Natsu's hand. "Any friend of the flying kitty's is my friend too."

"Flying kitty?" Natsu repeated, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.

"Natsu!" Happy cheered, as he flew into the dual dragon slayer's arms. "I knew you'd come to save me."

"It's great to see you buddy!" Natsu exclaimed with a wide grin, hugging Happy tightly. "I'm so glad you weren't hurt." Still holding Happy close, Natsu turned his attention back to Milliana. "I guess I can thank you for keeping Happy safe?"

"Yeah! She was super nice Natsu! Milliana and I played a bunch and she gave me some fish!" Happy said, as he smiled at Milliana. When the blue cat next spoke, he whispered into Natsu's ear. "Although she was a little too affectionate. I felt sort of suffocated."

"Well anyways thanks for keeping my buddy safe." Natsu said, gently patting Milliana on the head. The cat girl blushed brightly at the display of affection. "You should stay here and make sure that your square friend is okay. I'm gonna keep pushing on ahead."

"A-Alright..." Milliana stuttered out, as she tried to fight back her raging blush. "I'll keep an eye on Wally."

"Great, let's get moving Happy!" Natsu cheered, running out of Milliana's room.

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed, as he flew after Natsu.

"Wait!" Milliana called out, stopping Happy and Natsu in their tracks. "Will I ever see you again, flying kitty?"

"Sure! Come visit me anytime you want to play again!" Happy replied with a big smile, as he waved to Milliana. "And the name's Happy!"

"Happy, huh?" Milliana muttered, glancing down at Wally.

* * *

(Same Time; Jellal's Thrown Room)

"Hmm, looks like things are starting to get interesting..." Jellal mused, as he knocked over a few of the chess pieces on the board next to him.

"It seems as if Shô, Simon, and Milliana have betrayed us..." Vidaldus explained, kneeling in front of Jellal's thrown. "Wally was also defeated by the Salamander."

"Yes, this is how a game is supposed to be played." Jellal said with a growing smirk. "There's nothing I hate more than a one-sided game."

"Jellal-sama, we must quickly capture Erza and perform the ceremony." Vidaldus said, rising back onto his feet. "There is no more time to be playing around."

"If that's the case why don't you head out there Vidaldus." Jellal said, as he placed three new chess pieces onto his board. "I can see that you and your friends are itching to fight."

"Are you sure Jellal-sama..."

"Well they've finished their turn haven't they?" Jellal said, moving a few chess pieces around the board. "I think it's about time I play one of my trump cards." Vidaldus merely grinned in response and crossed his arms, forming an X. Suddenly a large amount of dark magic exploded off Vidaldus as his body began to change. As Vidaldus began to finish his transformation, two new figures walked into the room. One of the newcomers was a beautiful woman with flowing pink hair. The woman wore a white kimono with red skulls emblazoned on the bottoms, and she gripped a sword in her right hand. The other newcomer was a massive man with an owl's head, and he also sported a large rocket pack on his back. Once the two newcomers had taken their position, Vidaldus had finished his transformation. The dark-haired man now resembled a heavy metal rocker, with pale white skin and a guitar strapped to his back. "Special Raiding Squadron of Assassins...Trinity Raven. It's your turn to strike now."

"Go~ To~ Hell~~!" Vidaldus screeched, as a large maniacal smile spread across his face. "Hell! Let me show them all the deepest depths of hell~~~!"

"Who-Who...Who~~" The owl man said, cocking his head.

"Oh I wish you were easier to understand Fukuro." The pink-haired woman said, as she adjusted the blade in her grasp. "But I, Ikaruga, will lead the members of Death's Head Caucus to victory." A sadistic smile suddenly spread across Ikaruga's face. "Perhaps it is the fate of both love and life to scatter on the wind...tonight shall be a festival."

* * *

(Back with Natsu)

"Hold it right there!" Wally exclaimed, struggling to stand back onto his feet. "This ain't over Salamander!" Before Wally could take a single step, lighting still lingering from Natsu's attack brought him down onto one knee.

"Wally please don't push yourself!" Milliana exclaimed in a worried tone, as she rested a hand on Wally's back. "Please just rest!"

"Well I've gotten my payback." Natsu said, glancing back at Wally and Milliana. "And Erza and Happy are both safe now, so I see no point in continuing to fight you."

"Our...goal is heaven." Wally struggled to say, as he glared at Natsu. "The true freedom that Jellal speaks of. A world where we can rule over the people..." Before Wally could say anymore, dozens of strange mouths appeared on the walls and ceiling, all them creepily cackling.

"What are those creepy things, Natsu?!" Happy yelled, tightly clinging to Natsu's arm.

"They're mouths...and they're everywhere." Natsu said, as he gazed at the laughing mouths with disgust.

"Welcome all of you..." Natsu immidiately froze stiff when he heard an eerily familiar voice come out of the numerous mouths. It may have been more mature and menacing, but there was absolutely no mistaking it now. It was definitely Jellal who was speaking to them. Even after all these years apart, Natsu could never forget his voice. "To the Tower of Heaven. I am Jellal, ruler of this tower. All the pieces on both sides are now in place. I think it's high time we begin...Heaven's Game."

"Jellal..." Natsu breathed out, tightly balling his fists and clenching his teeth. "What the hell happened to you? What game are you playing?"

"The rules are quite simple..." Jellal's voice echoed out from the numerous mouths spread throughout the entire tower. "My goal is to use Erza as a sacrifice to revive Zeref." Natsu's eyes shot open when Jellal said this. The dual dragon slayer could feel his anger starting to boil over with each word Jellal spoke. First the bastard kidnapped his mate, now he wants to sacrifice her to some random asshole named Zeref! Natsu didn't know what had gotten into Jellal, but he did know that he would beat his ass until he came back to his senses. "That means if I can open the gateway to heaven I win...and if you can somehow stop me from doing that you win. However...that by itself isn't very exciting. So I've arranged for three mighty warriors to fight on my behalf. If you cannot get past them, you will never reach me. In other words this is an all out battle royal, three versus seven...Oh! There's one last tiny rule I should probably tell you all about. There's a possibility that the council could launch an attack on this tower using the **Satellite Square**." All of the Fairy Tail mages' eyes widened when they heard this. "The council possess the ultimate magic of destruction, **Etherion**. With enough power to reduce an entire country to rubble."

* * *

(In Jellal's Thrown Room)

"Yo~ You never mentioned anything like that Jellal!" Vidaldus exclaimed, as he flicked out his excessively long tongue. "If we got hit by that, everyone one of us would be going to hell!~"

"Why Vidaldus, are you afraid?" Ikaruga asked with a small smirk.

"Hell no!~" Vidaldus replied with a twisted grin. "It's the exact opposite!~ The reverse!~ That's totally the best news I've ever heard!~ A life or death job like this is exactly what I've been waiting for!~"

"The time is unknown, but it is ticking down." Jellal said, as his smirked widened. "But know that the moment **Etherion **strikes everyone in this tower will die. It will be game over and no one will win this fun game we're playing. So everyone...let's have fun shall we."

* * *

(With Erza's Group)

"T-This is insane..." Lucy stuttered out, feeling her knees go weak from fear. "What the hell is Jellal thinking?!" The blonde celestial spirit mage began to nervously rub the mate mark on her neck. "Playing a 'game' when he could die himself at any moment..."

"**Etherion**?" Erza muttered, as she began to shake slightly. "The council? Im-Impossible...I mean-" Everyone gasped when Erza was suddenly encompassed in a thick cloud of smoke. When the smoke dissipated, Shô was holding onto a playing card which held Erza inside. "Shô! What's going on!?"

"What the hell are you doing, Shô!?" Simon exclaimed, reaching out to Shô.

"I'm not gonna let anyone lay a finger on my nee-san." Shô replied, as he clutched the card close to his chest. The young man's voice was determined, yet full of fear at the same time. "I'll defeat that asshole Jellal all by myself!"

"Stop! You can't possibly do this alone!" Simon pleaded, but Shô has already began to run down the hall. "Son of a bitch! I'll head after Shô! You three have to search for Natsu! Now!"

"Juvia will search with Gray-sama." Juvia said, gesturing down a random hallway. "Lucy-san can search down that way."

"Oi! Hold on a second!" Lucy exclaimed, as she placed her hands on her hips. "I don't mean to diminish my skills or anything, but I'm not strongest one here! There's no way I can go off on my own!"

"Damn it, why am I stuck with these two?" Gray groaned, running his hand down his face. "Alright, I'm pretty worried about Erza, so I'm gonna go after the big guy and Shô. You two go find Natsu, okay?"

"Gray-sama wait!" Juvia called out, but Gray had already taken off after Simon and Shô. Once Gray was out of sight, Juvia sighed and hung her head.

"Well let's get going Juvia." Lucy said, as she patted Juvia's back. "We have to find Natsu and make sure he's alright."

At the mention of Natsu's name Juvia perked up slightly. "Alright, let's go Lucy-san. Juvia wants to make sure Natsu is okay."

* * *

(With Natsu)

"I'm not really sure what's going on, but I know I have to stop Jellal and kick his ass until he's back to normal." Natsu growled, as he ignited his hands in bright orange flames. "When I get up there I'm going make Jellal apologize to Erza and explain just what the hell is going on here."

"W-What are you going Jellal?" Wally muttered, catching Natsu's attention. "**Etherion **you say...if we take a blast from that thing we'll all die...all we ever wanted was true freedom."

"I don't know exactly what type of freedom you're after." Natsu said, as he crouched down next to Wally and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But at Fairy Tail you can have all the freedom you want..." Wally's eyes widened when Natsu flashed him a toothy grin. "Plus it's a pretty dandy place too." Giving Wally's shoulder quick pat, Natsu stood back up. "Happy! I think I've got a way for us to cheat this little game."

"Aye sir! I think I know what you mean!" Happy cheered, picking Natsu up and flying out the nearby window.

"HAHA! Let's skip straight to the final boss!" Natsu exclaimed, as Happy soared up the tower. "Jellal, I'm coming for your ass!"

"Salamander..." Wally said with a small smirk, watching Happy and Natsu sail off. "It's all on you now."

_"Please stay safe you two..." _Milliana thought, as she clasped her hands over her heart.

"We're almost there, keep it up buddy!" Natsu yelled, straining his voice over the howling wind. However, as Natsu and Happy flew further up the tower, something caught Natsu's eye. Off in the distance, Natsu spotted a brief flash of light. "Happy, what is that!? It looks like it's heading towards us!" Before Natsu or Happy had a chance to react they were slammed back into the tower, by what appeared to be a man with an owl's head. The dual dragon slayer and Happy tumbled across the tower's floor and crashed into a wall, coincidentally right in front of Simon.

"Salamander!" Simon exclaimed, as he ran up to Natsu and Happy. "Are you both alright?!"

"Who are you?" Natsu asked, rubbing his aching head. The dragon slayer then growled when the owl man landed in front of them. "And who the fuck is this dickhead?!"

"I will not allow you to break the rules." The owl man said, as he pointed at Natsu. "I am the protector of justice, Fukuro! Who-Whoo!"

"First a square dude and now a talking fucking bird." Natsu grunted, slowly getting back onto his feet. "How many freaks are in this tower?"

"N-No way...is h-he..." Simon stuttered out in fear, as his eye shot open. Without warning, Simon grabbed Natsu's wrist and took off down the hall. "This is really fucking bad! We have to get out of here quick!"

"Wait Natsu!" Happy exclaimed, flying after the dual dragon slayer. "This guy...he's that square dude's buddy!"

"I'm on your side now, so get your asses moving." Simon yelled, as he quickly formed a hand sign. "And you absolutely must not fight this guy!" Simon swiped his hand and the entire corridor turned bitch black. "**Dark Moment**!" Amongst the confusion, Simon grabbed Natsu's wrist again. "This is our only chance!" But Simon hadn't taken three steps before Fukuro was right in front of him. Simon gasped when Fukuro grabbed ahold of his head.

"The owl of justice strikes even in the blackest of nights!" Fukuro exclaimed, cocking his fist back. Simon's eye widened when magical energy gathered on Fukuro's fist. "**Justice Ho-Ho-Hou**!" Fukuro launched a powerful blast of magical energy directly into Simon's chest, sending him flying down the hall.

"H-He's so...strong..." Simon struggled to say, as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. "I...I think that fractured a few ribs..."

"Who-Whoo." Fukuro said, cocking his head.

"There's no doubt...he's from the assassin's guild...Death's Head Caucus!" Simon exclaimed, as he struggled to stand back up. "They're one of the dark guilds in the surrounding area. But Death's Head Caucus is one of the worst...they ended up specializing in assassination missions...and the most infamous among them all are a group of three know as 'Trinity Raven.' It was said during one of the guild wars they assassinated all of the officers in the entire western army."

"Who-Whoo, you are mistaken." Fukuro said, slowly shaking his head. "I merely struck down the forces of evil."

"Don't listen to him!" Simon yelled, as he coughed up another mouthful of blood. "Those guys are professional killers! You mustn't try to fight them!"

"So you are the famous Salamander...your infamy has even reached the ears of our guild." Fukuro said, cracking his knuckles. "I believe it's time for this warrior justice to strike down evil!"

"A guild is supposed to be a place filled with dreams and aspirations." Natsu said in a dark and menacing tone, as his anger passed the boiling point. The dual dragon slayer disposed regular dark guilds, but one that only took jobs that killed people, that was too much for Natsu to take. These bastards were tarnishing what a guild is supposed to be. They were disrespecting him, Erza, Lucy, Lisanna, and every legitimate guild in Fiore. Just then, like when he heard Lucy being hurt, Natsu felt an invisible barrier inside him break as his anger spiked considerably. Simon and Happy's eyes widened when dark orange lightning exploded off Natsu and filled the entire hallway with static electricity. "It's not some place for fucked up jobs like you assholes do. You bastards are a blemish on the magical world and I will take you down. I'm the one that's going to disintegrate evil."

"This...I wasn't expecting this..." Simon said, watching Natsu stare Fukuro down. "I didn't know Salamander possessed this type of power as well...just how strong is he?"

"This guy...he kills people for a living." Happy muttered, as he tightly clenched his paws.

"It pisses me off that jobs like that even exist." Natsu said, the lighting encasing his body becoming more powerful the angrier he got. "But it also pisses me off that assholes request those type of jobs. Not to mention they have the balls to call themselves an actual guild." Natsu tightly balled his fists and glared at Fukuro. "Everything about this bird freak pisses me off! So I'm gonna beat the shit out of you!"

"Who-whoo...little Salamander, there are some evils that cannot be allowed to live in this world." Fukuro said, as his rocket roared to life. "And you surely are one of those evils. So it's time to die."

"What did you just say?" Natsu asked in a dark tone, his brow twitching. "A killer like you has the gall to call me evil...haha, now you've really pissed me off!"

"**Jet Ho-Ho-Hou**!" Fukuro exclaimed, as he rocketed towards Natsu at a blinding speed.

"I'm sick of your ugly fucking mug!" Natsu roared, bracing himself for Fukuro's impact. Moments later Fukuro reached Natsu, but to Simon's shock the dual dragon slayer stopped the rocketing owl man dead in his tracks. Fukuro began to howl in pain as Natsu's lightning coursed through his body. Then Fukuro's rocket pack started to spark, before it exploded in a ball of flames. The owl man went limp in Natsu's arms, his back scarred and burned. "Time to make sure you're out for the count." Lightning exploded off Natsu's body as he spun Fukuro around and grabbed ahold of his waist. "**Lightning Dragon's Detonating Suplex**!" Natsu fell backwards and slammed Fukuro headfirst into the ground. As soon as Fukuro's body hit the ground, a massive explosion of lightning engulfed the owl man and filled the corridor with blinding orange light. When the light died down, Fukuro was in a large crater, charred and twitching. Natsu stood victorious over Fukuro, glaring down at his defeated enemy. "Justice fucking served."

"He...He beat a member of Trinity Raven in a single attack..." Simon breathed out, as his jaw hung open in shock. "If he's this strong already...then Jellal doesn't stand a chance."

* * *

(Two Minutes Earlier; Jellal's Thrown Room)

Jellal chuckled lightly as he used an owl shaped chess piece to knock down the wall chess piece the represented Simon. "How very disappointing Simon...out of the game already." Jellal then moved the owl chess piece towards a dragon shaped one. "And up next is Natsu vs. Fukuro...Hmm, I wish I could fight Natsu my self, but he might not-" Jellal stopped mid sentence when he felt his connection to Fukuro suddenly cut out. Hidden eyes narrowing, Jellal knocked over Fukuro's chess piece. "Looks like I might get my wish after all...this Natsu Dragneel sure is an interesting character. A wicked smirk spread across Jellal's face as he turned his attention to three different chess pieces on his board. "The celestial mage and the water woman vs. Vidaldus...I wonder who will come out on top?" Jellal's evil smirk widened as he knocked over the chess piece representing Lucy. "Looks like this might be the end for out celestial spirit user..."

* * *

(With Lucy and Juvia)

"Natsu!" Lucy called out, using her enhanced sense of smell to try and find her mate. The blonde celestial spirit mage frowned when she couldn't find Natsu's scent. "Damn it, my nose isn't nearly as strong as Natsu's."

"Are some type of dragon slayer as well, Lucy-san?" Juvia asked shyly, as she walked up next to the blonde. "Because Juvia knows from Gajeel-kun that dragon slayer's have enhanced senses."

"You call him -kun..." Lucy muttered awkwardly under her breath, avoiding Juvia's gaze. "To answer your question, no I'm not a dragon slayer...but I do have enhanced senses similar to a dragon slayer."

"Why is that?" Juvia continued her questioning, as she spotted a strange mark on Lucy's neck. "And what is that mark on your neck? Juvia doesn't remember seeing it before."

"Uh...*Sigh* I might as well tell you." Lucy said, unconsciously rubbing her mate mark. The blonde celestial spirit mage hid her face so Juvia wouldn't see her sly smile. _"Seeing as you'll be joining us eventually." _Taking a calming breath, Lucy began her explanation. "I don't know any easier way to say this, so I'll just come right out with it...Natsu and I are mates. This mark on my neck and the pink streaks in my hair mark me as his. The enhanced sense I have are also because I'm his mate."

"So you and Natsu really are together..." Juvia muttered in a dejected tone, something that wasn't missed by Lucy. "Well...Juvia is happy for you two."

"Thank you, Natsu is really great guy...but there is one little thing that makes our relationship very...unique." Lucy said, smirking when she saw Juvia perk back up. "Because Natsu was raised by two dragon kinds, mating customs are different for him. You see Juvia, dragon mating rituals are passed down to dragon slayers. A normal dragon will have only one mate in their life, and they will only love their mate and this is passed down to dragon slayers as well. However, this process is different when it comes to dragon kings. A dragon king will take on multiple mates, generally around three or more, to ensure that their magic will passed on to a new generation. Since Natsu was raised by two dragon kings that rule applies doubly for him."

"So...Natsu can have multiple mates?" Juvia asked, as her eyes slowly widened. "Aren't you upset that you can't be Natsu's only mate?"

"Maybe a little at first, but I'm fine with it now." Lucy replied, shocking the blue-haired water mage. "Natsu can't help the way he feels. His magic is driving him to claim multiple mates, it's not something he can really fight against. But I know that Natsu loves me and that I'm very special to him. Dragon kings instinctually pick their mates at first sight and do everything in their power to make their mates happy. So Natsu is very sweet to me and will risk his life to keep me safe." Lucy smiled brightly and clasped a hand over her heart. "Plus I know who a few of Natsu's other possible mates are and they're all girls I really like. So I don't see a problem with sharing the guy I love with my friends, friends who love him as well. It'll be like we're one big family."

"Like a family..." Juvia said underneath her breath, as she began to process everything Lucy had told her. It all sounded too good to be true. _"If what Lucy-san had said is really true then that meant Juvia still had a chance with Natsu...Wait, why is Juvia thinking like this? Natsu is just Juvia's friend...Juvia doesn't love Natsu...or does she?" _Juvia clutched the side of her head as he mind raced. _"Juvia is so confused right now. Juvia is sure that she loves Gray-sama, Juvia's feelings for him are so strong right now...But...whenever Juvia thinks of Natsu, Juvia's heart starts to beat faster and she feels so happy...and when Juvia imagines Natsu with other girls her heart aches because she isn't one of them. Juvia...Juvia...be in love with Natsu as well as Gray-sama. But that makes sense, Natsu has been Juvia's friend for so long...he was the first one to bring sunlight into Juvia's life...But Juvia's feelings for Gray-sama are so strong right, Juvia can't explain it. Juvia...will have to figure this all out lat-" _

Juvia's thoughts were cut off when a piercing wail filled the air. It sounded as if an electric guitar was being put on blast right next to them. Lucy's shrieked in pain and covered her ears. Her enhanced hearing more easily affected by the extremely loud music.

"What's that noise?!" Lucy screamed, collapsing down onto her knees. "Is that a guitar!? GAH! It feels like my ears are gonna start bleeding! AGH! It's so fucking loud!"

"Really?" Juvia asked, as she quirked an eyebrow. "Juvia actually thinks it's quite nice."

"How is this not bothering you!?" Lucy exclaimed, trying to stop the rapid pounding in her head.

"HEY! YA! FUCKING! GIRLS!" A screeching voice alerted Juvia and Lucy to the presence of a newcomer. The man had pale white skin and extremely long black hair. He was whipping his hair in circles as he played his guitar. "The name's Vidaldus Taka! Welcome to my hellish concert! Destroy!"

"You're the bastard who's playing the guitar so damn loud!" Lucy yelled, standing back onto her feet and glaring at Vidaldus. "Cut that shit out!"

"This man must be one of Jellal's three warriors." Juvia said, as she prepared to fight this new enemy. "We must be prepared for anything."

"Assassin's guild Death's Head Caucus!" Vidaldus wailed, sticking out his long tongue. "Hey! We're the skulls! Kickass name ain't it!?" Vidaldus strummed his electric particularly hard and his hair whipped out towards Lucy and Juvia. "Rock you!" Still covering her ears, Lucy barely dodged the flailing hair. The blonde's eyes shot open as she watched the tendrils of hair crash through walls and the floor. While Lucy was busy dodging Vidaldus' attacks, Juvia merely stood her ground and allowed his attacks to pass through her water body. Vidaldus looked genuinely impressed when he saw his hair sail harmlessly through Juvia. "WAH! That's a rockin' little body you there girlie!"

"Juvia's body is made out of water." Juvia explained, as she formed a sphere of water in her hand. "No attacks can harm Juvia." Juvia closed her fist around the ball of water in her hand. "**Water Lock**!" The water formed underneath Vidaldus and began to creep up his body, entirely encasing him in water. "Huh, looks like his bark was far worse than his bite."

"Great job Juvia!" Lucy cheered, giving Juvia a thumbs up. "That's a member of the Elemental 4 for you!"

However, Lucy and Juvia's eyes widened when the water trapping Vidaldus started to disappear. Vidaldus' maniacal laughing was heard as little by little, Juvia's water seemed be absorbed into his hair. Lucy had to cover her ears once again, as Vidaldus began to play his guitar again. A few moments later all of Juvia's water had disappeared.

"W-What..." Juvia stuttered out, as she stared at Vidaldus in shock. "Juvia's **Water Lock**...disappeared?

"Phew..." Vidaldus released a calming breath, before his twisted smile returned. "A bit of water is just trick when your hair is messed up. But, you shouldn't use shampoo in the morning, your hair won't like it."

"How..." Juvia breathed out, as she tightly balled her fists. "How did you eliminate Juvia's **Water Lock**?"

"My hair can absorb any liquid." Vidaldus replied, playing with a few strands of his hair. "Though you won't see me wiping up any oil or alcohol, that's bad for the hair."

"Juvia's water...won't affect him." Juvia said, as she grit her teeth in frustration.

"But my, my, we do have a couple sexy babes here, heh heh." Vidaldus chuckled, leering dangerously at Lucy and Juvia.

"W-What do you mean?" Juvia hesitantly asked, as she tried to cover her body with her hands.

"Hmm, now the important question. Which one do I choose?" Vidaldus asked no one in particular, wagging his finger between Lucy and Juvia. An evil smirk spread across Vidaldus' face when he spotted Lucy. "Looks like the blondie is already taken, so..." His finger landed on Juvia. "I'll have to take you!" Juvia took a fearful step back as Vidaldus prepared to play his guitar again. "Well that settles it! You're the lucky girl who's gonna be my succubus today!"

"S-Succubus..." Juvia repeated in frightened tone.

"**Rock of Succubus**! Hell yeaaaaaahhhh!" Before Juvia or Lucy had a chance to react, the water mage was lifted into the air by purple tendrils of dark magic. Juvia screamed in pain as the dark magic entered her ears.

"AH! What is this?! This noise!" Juvia yelled, as she attempted to cover her ears, but her hands wouldn't move. "GAH! NO! STOP IT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

"Juvia!" Lucy cried, reaching out to her friend. But Juvia's body was suddenly engulfed by a blinding white light, forcing Lucy to shield her eyes from the intense rays. But the person that Lucy saw when the light died down definitely wasn't the Juvia she knew. Juvia's skin was now pale white like Vidaldus' and her clothes resembled that of a rocker's. The bluenette's hair was also down and a purple was emblazoned across Juvia's stomach. "J-Juvia?"

"Looks like I got myself a love slave." Vidaldus said with a twisted smile.

"Hell, hell, hell!" The transformed Juvia chanted, shocking Lucy so much that she fell over. "I'm gonna show you deepest, darkest, most glorious pits of hell, ya bitch!"

"That's not Juvia anymore..." Lucy breathed out, as her eyes narrowed in determination. "I have to save her from this asshole...for my...and Natsu's sake!"

* * *

(With Natsu and Simon)

"GAH!" Natsu yelled, suddenly collapsing to his knees. The dragon slayer clutched a hand over his thundering heart. Just like with Erza when Phantom Lord attacked, Natsu could sense that both Lucy and Juvia were in trouble. Natsu's pulse pounded in his ears as he howled in pain.

"Natsu?! What's wrong?!" Simon exclaimed, as he was instantly by the dragon slayer's side. "Are you hurt!? Did something happen when you fought Fukuro!?"

"N-No..." Natsu struggled to reply, using a wall to steady himself as he got back onto his feet. "Lucy...Juvia...they're both in trouble..."

"Your friends are in trouble..." Simon said, as he placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "I know you want to help your friends more than anything Natsu, but we don't have time for any sudden-"

"I know." Natsu said, shrugging off Simon's hand. "I know we don't have time for detours. I know Lucy and Juvia are in trouble. But I'm not worried." The dual dragon slayer turned to flash Simon a bright grin. "Because I know my girls are strong and that they can overcome anything in her way. I know that they can handle this."

* * *

**And done! I felt this was a good stopping point. Next chapter will finish up the Lucy and Juvia vs. Vidaldus fight, I have a few new twists for that one so look forward to that. Next chapter will also get to the Erza vs. Ikaruga fight and maybe even Jellal, who knows. I hope you all enjoyed Natsu's new fight against Fukuro. I figured with his new powers, Fukuro shouldn't have been any problem for Natsu, plus I also used a little bit of Pokemon logic in that fight; electricity is super effective against flying-types. So now there's no need for Gray to come in and save Natsu's ass, which will speed this arc up a little bit. There's about thirteen chapters left in this arc, I'm on chapter 87 in case you were wondering, which means I can probably wrap this arc up in about three chapters. So hopefully when the next batch of chapters are released we can finish this arc and get started on the Battle for Fairy Tail arc. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed the chapter, PLEASE REVIEW (The amount of reviews for last ****chapter was kinda disappointing. Let's see if we can pick it up with this chapter!), and PM me any ideas you have for this fic.**

**Also I want to clarify one thing real quick. At the beginning of the chapter, Ultear isn't in love with Natsu yet, that will come much later. She's merely fascinated by his strength and determination right now. If she has any sort of attraction to Natsu, it's purely physical right now. So need to worry about Ultear instantly loving Natsu. That will come in due time.**

**So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	27. Chapter 27 Lucy and Juvia vs Vidaldus

**Hey guys, I'm finally back with the next chapter for this fic. I'm sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but I started my second semester of college a few weeks ago, and that has been eating up a ton of my time. Well the good news is that I just finished my Naruto fic, so I should hopefully be able to get chapters out a little more quickly, because I now I have one less fic to update. This story has passed 1,400 followers, 1,300 favorites, and is close to 700 reviews, which is fucking awesome! Thank you all for your continued patience and support. This chapter will have Lucy's little fight against Juvia, which I have a little twist for, and will further advance this arc. Hopefully I'll be able to finish the Tower of Heaven arc within the next two chapters, which means we can start moving into the Battle for Fairy Tail arc, I have some special things planned for that arc, especially between Natsu and Gajeel. Because of the long wait you all had to endure, I'll once again be posting a few chapters in quick succession, hopefully. So without further ado, let's get to the fic!**

**P.S. I recently finished a Gurren Lagann oneshot, it's titled Exploring New and Old Feelings. So go check it out after you finish this chapter, and leave a ****review and favorite if you enjoyed it.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.**

* * *

(With Lucy and Juvia)

"HAHAHAHA! I'm gonna drag your sorry ass down to the darkest pits of hell!" Juvia exclaimed, as she began to laugh maniacally. "Ya little bitch~~!"

"Juvia! You need to get ahold of yourself!" Lucy cried, tightly balling her fists in anger. "Snap out of it!"

"She's my little 'succubus' now..." Vidaldus explained with a twisted smile on his face. "She'll only take orders from me now!"

"Screw you! Juvia's will is stronger than you think! I'll free her from your damn spell!" Lucy declared, just as a realization suddenly hit her. "Wait...the sound from guitar is what did this to Juvia...then why am I not affected?"

"Hehehe...that's an excellent question little missy." Vidaldus said, chuckling lightly as he flipped his hair. "But you see the answer to your question is actually quite simple..." Vidaldus' twisted smiled returned as he burst out laughing. "This would just be no fun at all if both of you were under my spell! I want to see you girls duke it out in an epic catfight! A battle of tears, emotion, and torn clothing!"

"You're disgusting..." Lucy muttered, as she felt a chill run down her spine. "God, you're lucky Natsu isn't here right now. If he heard you say that, you'd be on your ass right now, begging for mercy."

"I'm 'disgusting' you say..." Vidaldus said, before he began to chuckle darkly. "Why that's the greatest compliment I've ever received!"

"Haha! If you're not ready to rock out..." Juvia said, jabbing her finger towards Lucy. "Then just die already!" Out of nowhere a wall of water materialized in front of Juvia and raced towards Lucy.

"Shit!" Lucy exclaimed, as she dove out of the water's path. But Lucy had no time to rest, because Juvia suddenly sprang out of the water that now littered the floor.

"Now where should I start my feast!?" Juvia exclaimed, grabbing ahold of the front of Lucy's dress. "I think the answer is pretty obvious!"

"Juvia! Get ahold of yourself!" Lucy shouted, as she struggled against Juvia's surprisingly strong grip.

"We gotta start with these huge tits of yours!" Juvia yelled with a twisted grin, trying to tear open Lucy's dress.

"Hands off!" Lucy exclaimed, as she headbutted the possessed bluenette. The sudden strike had caught Juvia off, so she was unable to turn her body into water to avoid the attack. Clutching her head, Juvia took a few stumbling steps back, water continuing to rage around her. "Only Natsu is allowed to see my girls! They're off limits to anyone else!" At the mention of Natsu's name, Juvia's eyes seemed to soften slightly and the water around her began to calm. However, Lucy was too wrapped up in her current fight to notice these subtle changes.

"What are you doing ya stupid bitch!?" Vidaldus screamed, strumming his guitar to hit Juvia with another burst of his mind-control magic. "Get in there and kick her ass~! I wanna see some real fighting~!"

"Haha! That's right! This little slut needs to be sent to hell!" Juvia exclaimed after violently shaking her head. Then a moment later, Juvia charged towards Lucy, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks. Lucy had very limited hand-to-hand fighting experience, so she did her best to dodge and block Juvia's strikes, but because of her lack of experience a few hits managed to land.

"Didn't you say you wanted to join Fairy Tail?!" Lucy asked, as she blocked a roundhouse kick that was aimed at her jaw. "If you meant that, then stop attacking your own-" Lucy was cut off when she suddenly found herself encased in Juvia's **Water Lock**. Just as Lucy began to run out of air, she felt herself being dragged out of the sphere of water by her hair. Once free of the **Water Lock**, Lucy was roughly slammed to the ground. Lucy strained to look up, she saw Juvia standing over her, locks of blond and pink hair falling from her fingers.

"Yeah~! That's what I wanted to see~!" Vidaldus exclaimed, strumming his guitar once again. "Keep it up~!"

"**Water Cane**!" Juvia slapped Lucy across the back with a solid stream of water, causing the blonde to hiss in pain. "There's much more where that came from~!"

"Juvia! I know you're in there!" Lucy yelled, quickly rolling away from another one of Juvia's attacks. "I know that you can hear my voice!" Springing to her feet, Lucy lunged forward and enveloped Juvia in a tight hug. Lucy knew that she wasn't strong enough to beat Juvia in a straight up fight, so she had to try and bring the possessed bluenette back to her senses.

"Ya little bitch!" Juvia exclaimed, as she tried to push Lucy off, but the blonde continued to hold on tight. "Let go of me now!"

"No way! I won't let go until you're back to normal!" Lucy shouted, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Natsu would never forgive me if I didn't help one of my nakama!" Again Juvia reacted to Natsu's name, starting to struggle less against Lucy's embrace. "Come back to us Juvia! Come back to me! Come back to Gray! Come back to Natsu! Come back to Fairy Tail!"

"F-Fairy Tail..." Juvia said barely above a whisper, as she started to go limp in Lucy's arms. "Gray-sama...Natsu..."

"That's it Juvia! Remember!" Lucy exclaimed, tightly grabbing ahold of Juvia's shoulders and locking eyes with her. "Fight it! I know you can do it!"

"L-Lucy...san?" Juvia said in a dazed voice, as she immidiately closed her eyes in pain. "Ya little bitch! I'll drag you to hell by your fucking hair!" Juvia roughly pushed Lucy away and fell to her knees, clutching her head. "GAH!" Juvia screamed out in agony as she rapidly shook her head. "Get out of Juvia's head! Juvia won't let you control her anymore!"

"Don't fight it girly~!" Vidaldus exclaimed, as he flashed Juvia a twisted smile. "You'll never break free~!"

Not knowing what to do, Lucy fell onto her knees and hugged Juvia against her chest. The possessed bluenette continued to thrash and scream in pain, as tears started to pour from her eyes. As Lucy held Juvia close, she could almost feel the pain that the bluenette was experiencing. Lucy desperately thought of a way to help Juvia and ease her pain, she frantically searched her mind for any possible solution. Then it hit her, Lucy remembered something from a story Natsu had told her a few days earlier, from when he had first met Juvia, it was a long shot but it just might work. Lucy closed her eyes and leaned closer, so that she could speak directly into Juvia's ear. When the blonde celestial spirit mage next spoke, she had a small smile on her face and her voice was soft and gentle.

_**"Rain, rain go away..." **_Juvia's eyes slowly opened when Lucy's beautiful voice graced her ears. She almost immidiately stopped screaming and struggling, as she began to relax in Lucy's arms. _**"Come again another day. Little Johnny wants to play. In the meadow by the hay..." **_As Lucy continued to sing, Juvia pictured that it was Natsu singing to her once again, underneath the bridge on that rainy day. Slowly, with each word, the dark fog that had been clouding Juvia's mind began to dissipate. **_"Rain, rain go away. Never show your face again..._****_" _**Now Juvia was singing as well, easily matching Lucy's pitch and speed. _**"Rain, rain pour down. But not a drop on our town." **_When Lucy finished her song, she opened her eyes to see that Juvia was looking back at her. The crazed look in Juvia's eyes was now gone, and she appeared to be back to her senses.

"T-Thank you Lucy-san." Juvia said, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you for freeing Juvia."

"It wasn't all me." Lucy said with a bright smile on her face. "Thank Natsu, he's the reason I knew to sing that song."

_"Natsu...saved Juvia again." _Juvia thought, as she clutched a hand over her heart. _"He's always saving me somehow, even when he's not here." _

"Impossible~!" Vidaldus yelled in anger, staring at Juvia in shock. "No one's ever broken free of my control before~!" Vidaldus' twisted smile returned as he prepared to play his guitar once again. "Fine by me~! Play time's over little girls~! This time I'll make sure you're both under my spell~!"

"Juvia, we don't have any time to waste..." Lucy said, reaching for her celestial spirit keys. Finding the right key, Lucy raised it above her head. "So I'm sorry about this, Juvia!"

"What are you talking abo-" Juvia was cut off when Lucy shoved the key into her to water body.

"**Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!**" Juvia's eyes widened as Lucy's celestial spirit magic flooded her entire body, her entire body starting to glow brightly. Then in explosion of golden light, Aquarius appeared out of Juvia's body.

"You...you used Juvia's body...to summon a spirit?" Juvia asked, staring at Lucy in shock.

"Sorry about that Juvia..." Lucy said, as she rubbed the back of her head in embarassment. "But...your body was the closest source of water."

"Will you both shut the hell up already!?" Aquarius roared, raising her vase and flooding the entire corridor with a massive cyclone of water. Lucy and Juvia quickly became separated in the swirling water vortex.

"Not a chance!" Vidaldus exclaimed with a maniacal laugh, as his hair began to absorb all of the water. "I already told you, my hair absorbs all water! This won't stop me!"

"Juvia!" Lucy shouted over the roaring water, reaching out to the bluenette.

"Lucy!" Juvia yelled, as she grabbed ahold of Lucy's hand, their fingers interlocking. Instantly their connected hands were bathed in a golden light, and a large surge of magic exploded off them.

* * *

(Same Time: Jellal's Throne Room)

Jellal continued to smirk as he stared down at his chess board. Natsu defeating Fukuro so easily was quite the surprise, but Jellal was certain Vidaldus would have no trouble defeating those two girls. He was prepared to knock of both girls' chess pieces, but his eyes slowly widened when he saw that Vidaldus' chess piece had cracked.

"W-What?" Jellal muttered, sensing a new, large magical power coming from where Vidaldus was. "This...This power..." Jellal quickly realized what was happening. "Those little brats are achieving...magical fusion?"

* * *

(Back with Lucy and Juvia)

"Oi! Wait a minute!" Vidaldus pleaded, as he felt Aquarius' water starting to become infused with Juvia's own water, increasing the amount and making it more powerful. "What the hell is happening to this water!? There's way too damn much!"

"You ready Juvia!?" Lucy asked with a grin, locking eyes with the bluenette.

"Yes!" Juvia replied in a determined tone, as she flashed Lucy a smile of her own.

"Then let's hit him with everything we've got!" Lucy exclaimed, both girls unleashing as much of their magical power as they could. Just like with Natsu and Erza, Lucy and Juvia's magics had melded together perfectly. Their hearts and mind were now in perfect sync, as their magical powers combined. _"I'm doing it!" _Lucy thought as she watched Vidaldus be pushed back by their attack. _"I'm doing a **Unison Raid**!" _

With a pained scream, Vidaldus was sent flying back by the incredible vortex of water, becoming pinned to a nearby wall. When the water began to die down, Vidaldus fell to the ground unconscious, and now very much bald.

"We did it!" Lucy cheered, as she pulled Juvia in for a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're back to normal Juvia!"

"Juvia is happy to be back as well!" Juvia exclaimed with a large smile, returning Lucy's embrace. "It's all thanks to you, Lucy-san!"

"Oi!" Lucy froze stiff when she heard Aquarius' furious voice. Slowly turning her head, Lucy squeaked in surprise when she saw the fierce glare Aquarius was giving her. "Don't you, EVER, summon me from a place like that again!" Lucy flinched when Aquarius got right in her face. "Where the hell are you gonna summon me from next, huh?! A damn toilet?! I'll fucking kill you if you do something like that."

"I-I'm so very sorry..." Lucy muttered in a nervous tone, as she did her best to avoid Aquarius' piercing gaze.

"She's very frightening." Juvia said underneath her breath, but this wasn't missed by Aquarius.

"Eh! You got something to say to me!?" Aquarius exclaimed, pushing past Lucy and quickly floating over to Juvia. "Because if you do, say it to my face!"

"I-It was nothing, Juvia swears!" Juvia yelled in a panic, as she frantically waved her arms. "Juvia didn't say anything at all!"

"That's what I thought." Aquarius said, giving Juvia one last glare before she turned to leave. "Well I'm out of here. I'm going on a two week trip..." Aquarius smirked and leaned closer to Lucy. "With my boyfriend."

"Uh...Aquarius...I already have-"

"Shit wait..." Aquarius said, as she rubbed her chin. "You're banging that pink-haired guy, right?" Aquarius' crude way of speaking caused Lucy and Juvia's faces to burn near neon red. "I guess I can't tease you about never getting a boyfriend anymore." Aquarius growled as she was bathed in bright gold light. "I'll think of something later! Just don't bother me for a while!" Then in a brilliant flash of light, Aquarius was gone.

"*Sigh* Well that's a relief." Lucy said, falling back into a large puddle of water. "We've managed to take out one of the bad guys. Looks like Jellal isn't going to get his way so easily."

"No...you were the one who defeated him, Lucy-san." Juvia said with a small smile, as she looked down at Lucy. "Juvia didn't do very much."

"You're wrong." Lucy said, getting back onto her feet and placing her hand on Juvia's shoulder. "We did it together." Lucy suddenly flashed Juvia a bright smile. "You called me Lucy when you grabbed my hand, right?" Juvia's face slightly flushed red. "It made me so happy, realizing that we were really starting to get along. You don't have to use '-san' with me anymore. We're nakama aren't we?"

"Nakama..." Juvia breathed out, as tears began to fall from her eyes. Despite her tears, Juvia smiled at Lucy. "Yes Lucy, we are nakama...thank you." Juvia chuckled as she wiped away her tears. "Heh...rain was falling from Juvia's eyes."

"Hey, now that's a cute way of putting it." Lucy said with a smile, leaning against a nearby wall, slowly sliding to the ground. "But anyways, that whole fight really wore me out."

"Juvia is quite tired as well." Juvia said, as she sunk to the ground next to Lucy.

"Then let's relax for a few minutes, then we can get back to searching for Natsu." Lucy suggested, earning a nod from Juvia.

"That sounds good to Juvia." Juvia said, as she closed her eyes and rested her head against Lucy's shoulder.

* * *

(Back in Jellal's Thrown Room)

"**Unison Raid**, eh?" Jellal muttered, studying the chessboard played out before him. "I've heard tales of mages wasting their whole lives trying to achieve that...only to never achieve their goal..." A small smirk spread across Jellal's face. "That's quite the impressive stunt they've pulled. They may just be weak, little girls, but they are Erza's nakama after all." Chuckling lightly, Jellal turned to gaze out a window at the setting Sun. "I guess it's my turn to advance a piece on the board as well..."

* * *

(A Half Hour Earlier: Magical Council Meeting Room)

"On the matter of firing upon the Tower of Heaven with **Etherion**..." Org addressed his fellow council members, as he clasped his hands on top of the table. "There are four votes to fire, versus five against. Because of these results **Etherion **will not be fired."

"Wait!" Siegrain exclaimed, slapping his hands onto the table and shooting up from his seat. "Do you all really understand the situation that we are in?!"

"Just give up Siegrain..." Org growled, as he slightly glared at Siegrain. "This debate has gone on for quite some time. There are peaceful ways to approach this situation as well."

"Peace?!" Siegrain shouted, slamming his fist down. "While we're sitting here wasting time debating petty morale victories...history is about to be altered forever! Jellal is going to resurrect the dead! Do you not see the horrible repercussions that could have!?"

"You keep saying that, but we have no information on whether the **R-System **is even functional yet." Gran Doma said, as he stroked his beard. "It is far too early to resort to an all out attack."

"Can't any of you feel it?" Siegrain asked, his voice lowering as he leaned forward. "The dark magic spilling out as we speak...the sheer terror of the man that Jellal is trying to resurrect...the dark mage Zeref." All of the council members', minus Ultear, eyes shot open when Siegrain said this.

"Y...You...what did you just say?!" Belno exclaimed, as she stared at Siegrain in shock.

"Siegrain..." Gran Doma exclaimed, glaring fiercely at Siegrain. "How could you possibly know a thing like that!"

"I didn't want to cast any unnecessary suspicion upon myself, so I didn't say anything." Jellal explained, as he stared down at the table. "I know the man named Jellal. And I know what he means to do."

"Siegrain...you've just made us all the more suspicious for withholding such information from us." Gran Doma growled, tightly clenching his fists. "Now you will tell us everything you know. Now." After Siegrain had explained everything he knew, the votes were quickly recast. "In light of this new information the new voting count is eight in favor to fire **Etherion **and one opposed. That will be all. The firing upon the Tower of Heaven by **Etherion **has been approved." Yajima shook his head disapprovingly, and with a deep sigh turned to leave the council room.

"Yajima-san..." Siegrain said, which stopped the elderly man in his tracks. "I understand you may find this difficult to accept...but you can at least see that we must not allow Zeref to be revived, right?"

"It is no longer my right to resist this decision..." Yajima replied, not turning around to face Siegrain. "But I pray you are ready to take responsibility for you actions, yes?"

"Of course..." Siegrain said, as he placed hand over his heart. "I will take full responsibility."

"I am talking about innocent people's lives here Siegrain!" Yajima exclaimed, whipping around to face Siegrain with fury in his eyes. "All the blood that is about to spilled is upon your hands, and your hands alone!" Siegrain simply remained silent and watched as Yajima stormed out of the room.

"**Etherion **will be fired in one hour." Gran Doma announced to all of the magical council members. "So everyone prepare yourselves."

* * *

(A Half Hour Later: With Gray)

"Shit! Where the hell did that bastard go?!" Gray yelled, as he sprinted down another winding corridor. "When I find that Shô asshole, I'm gonna break his fucking nose!" However, when Gray rounded a sharp corner, he stopped in his tracks when he felt the air fill with static electricity. "Wait this sensation...it has to be Natsu!" Running down the corridor, Gray spotted Simon holding Natsu upright and a large unconscious owl-headed man in crater a few feet away. "What the hell happened here?"

"Oh Gray, it's only you." Simon said, releasing a sigh of relief. "I thought it might have been another member of Death's Head Caucus."

"Death's Head Caucus?" Gray repeated in a confused tone, as he quirked an eyebrow.

"That man over there..." Simon said, gesturing to the still unconscious Fukuro. "He's a member of the assassin guild Death's Head Caucus, but Natsu managed to beat him on his own."

"Flame-bran beat that guy...by himself?" Gray asked, staring at Natsu in shock. However, Gray was surprised to see that Natsu appeared to be in serious pain, despite his lack of injuries. Crouching down next to the dragon slayer, Gray placed his hand on Natsu's forehead. "Is something wrong with Natsu? He keeps clutching his heart."

"I don't know what's going on with him." Simon replied, as he gazed at Natsu with a concerned look in his eye. "He didn't actually get hurt in his fight with Fukuro as far as I can tell. But then suddenly he cried out in pain, and said something about Lucy and Juvia being in trouble."

"Lucy and Juvia are in trouble?" Gray muttered, turning his attention back to the dragon slayer. "Oi Natsu, what did you mean Lucy and Juvia were in trouble?"

"They're in danger..." Natsu said in a pained voice, as sweat formed on his brow. "I can sense it. They're fighting-" Natsu stopped mid-sentence when the pain his chest began to fade away, and was replaced by an overwhelming feeling of relief. "The...The aching pain in my chest...it's gone."

"That's strange..." Simon said, rubbing his chin. "Why would it disappear so suddenly."

"It's pretty obvious." Natsu said with a small smile on his face. "Lucy and Juvia beat whoever they were fighting. I don't sense that they're in trouble anymore."

"So are you alright now, Natsu?" Gray asked, earning a nod from the pink-haired dragon slayer.

"Yeah, I think I'm good now." Natsu replied, as he quickly stretched his muscles. With a toothy grin, Natsu punched his flaming fists together. "I'm ready to kick some serious ass now!"

"Great, let's get moving so we can find Erza." Gray said, walking ahead of Natsu and Simon. "I have a bone to pick with that Shô bastard."

"Wait..." Natsu said, as he grabbed ahold of Gray's shoulder. "I know you're not gonna wanna hear this Gray, but can you try and find Lucy and Juvia, then get them out of this tower." Gray looked like he was about to argue, but Natsu stopped him. "Gray please, I know we don't get along all the time, but just do this one thing for me. I won't be able to relax until I know that both of them are safe." Gray opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped when he saw the look in Natsu's eyes. The dragon slayer's eyes were full of determination, however Gray could see hints of worry. Gray fully knew how much Natsu cared about Lucy, and Juvia as well apparently, so he could understand why he was worried about them. "They were probably just in a big fight, so they must be exhausted. I don't want an enemy to find them when they can't properly fight back."

"Alright, alright I get it. You don't have to say anymore." Gray said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll do it. But you owe me one."

"Sure thing Gray." Natsu said with a small smile, as he watched Gray walk off in search of Lucy and Juvia. Releasing a light sigh, Natsu turned to the large man behind him. "You ready Simon? Happy?"

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, flying into the air next to Natsu.

"I'm ready whenever you are Natsu." Simon replied, as he offered his hand to Natsu. "If you want I can help you walk for a bit."

"I'm fine now Simon, really." Natsu said with a grin. "Let's get going."

* * *

(Same Time: Magical Council Headquarters)

Deep below the magical council's headquarters, a flurry of mages rushed around to prepare **Etherion **to be fired.

"Target has been acquired."

"I'm adjusting spacial coordinates now."

"The mountains in that region are causing wavelength complications, which is causing calibration issues."

"Then up the altitude a little more."

"Magical charge is now at 60%."

"**Etherion **system integration complete."

"We've got twenty-seven minutes until **Etherion **is fired."

"To think we'd be forced to make such a terrible decision at a time like this, with the council president in such bad health..." Org muttered, as he watched the mages below working to get **Etherion** ready.

"We had no choice." Michello said, releasing a light sigh. "While the president is away, full responsibility for maintaining order in the magical world falls upon the remaining council members." Michello glanced at Org out of the corner of his eye and saw how worried he looked. "You shouldn't worry so much Org. This may be an unannounced attack on a foreign nation, but situations like this are provided for in article 27, clause 4 of the national security act."

"This isn't about simple legal implications..." Org said, his whole body shaking slightly. "We're talking about deploying **Etherion** here!"

"Well Zeref is the devil incarnate." Michello reasoned, as he rested against his cane and released another sigh. "All we can do is pray that **Etherion **is enough to destroy him."

In a different part of the magical council's headquarters, Siegrain and Ultear were watching **Etherion** being prepared as well. Siegrain had his arms crossed behind his back as he continued to watch the mages below work, while Ultear stood a few feet behind him, gazing into her crystal ball.

"It appears that time is almost upon us..." Ultear said, gazing up from her crystal ball. "Siegrain-sama. The feelings you've hidden for the past eight years are finally going to be realized."

"Are you afraid, Ultear?" Siegrain asked, not turning to face her.

"Not even a little." Ultear said with a small smile on her face. "After all, I've always trusted you completely, Siegrain-sama."

"Yes, I understand..." Siegrain said with a light chuckle. "But it's not your life that's in danger here."

"That's true." Ultear said, as she suppressed a giggle. "Although I do miss the rush of danger."

"Personally, I find myself trembling." Siegrain said, tightly clenching his fists around the railing he was leaning on. "If this plan fails...I die." As Siegrain continued to stare down below, he and Ultear failed to notice that Yajima was was close by, listening to their conversation. The elderly man had used his **Flattening **magic to hide his presence against a nearby wall.

_"If we fail...he dies?" _Yajima thought, as he quirked an eyebrow.

"But this is worth putting my life on the line." Siegrain said, an evil look filling his eyes. "After all...this is my dream."

"Quite." Ultear said, as she turned her attention back to her crystal ball.

_"Something strange is going on here." _Yajima thought, rubbing his chin as he snuck away. _"I'll have to try and investigate further." _

"By the way..." Siegrain said, as he glanced at Ultear out of the corner of his eye. "You seem to have become quite smitten by Natsu Dragneel."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ultear said without missing a beat, turning head indignantly. However, she couldn't hide the slight blush that spread across her face. "I could care less about that man."

"Hmm, whatever you say." Siegrain said, as he shrugged his shoulders. "However, I'd still advise you not to fraternize with our enemies, you'll only end up getting hurt."

"I understand." Ultear said, slowly nodding her head. _"But you're different, aren't you Natsu Dragneel?" _A small smile spread across Ultear's face, as she observed the pink-haired dragon slayer through her crystal orb. _"You wouldn't care if someone was your former enemy, you'd still welcome them with open arms. I saw that first hand after your fight with that man Gajeel. After you defeated him, despite him harming your guild and loved ones, you offered him the opportunity to join your guild without hesitation." _Ultear gently caressed the image of Natsu with her thumb. _"You're such a fascinating man Natsu Dragneel. Every time I observe you I see something new and become more intrigued. And I can only imagine..." _Ultear briefly glanced up at Siegrain, before returning her attention back to her orb, a sudden smirk spread across Ultear's face. _"That I'm going to see something truly amazing from you today. So Natsu Dragneel the question is...can you keep my interest piqued?" _

* * *

(Same Time: With Shô and Erza)

"Jellal...that bastard!" Shô hissed, as he ran down a long hallway. "Shit...Shit! How dare he lie to us like that! Even hurting nee-san!"

"Shô! Listen to me!" Erza screamed, pounding on the card that was keeping her prisoner. "Shô you have to calm down! Let me out of here!"

"Don't worry nee-san..." Shô said, as he ignored what Erza was saying. "I'll protect you no matter what."

"Damn it! Shô!" Erza exclaimed, just as Shô came to a skidding stop.

In front of Shô stood a beautiful woman with light pink hair, which was tied on top of her head in two large buns. She had a curvaceous figure, peach colored skin, a beauty mark underneath each eye and sported red lipstick. She wore a long, slightly loose white kimono with a red stripe in between two black stripes around the waist as well as a red triangle at the bottom of her dress, decorated by flames and skulls motifs, open at the top to reveal her shoulders and a fair amount of her cleavage; it was closed around the waist by a large black belt adorned with a horned skull. Her guild insignia was incorporated into her kimono and seen at the end of both of her sleeves. As the woman walked towards Shô cherry blossoms seemed to fall around her.

"My name is Ikaruga." The woman introduced herself, as she revealed that she was wielding a large katana. "Greetings."

"Move out of my way!" Shô growled, gritting his teeth in irritation. "Who the hell are you supposed to be anyways!?"

"Oh my..." Ikaruga said, as she giggled into her hand. "Such a rude young man."

"I don't have time to waist on annoying hags like you!" Shô exclaimed, hurling several razor-sharp cards at Ikaruga.

"A hag you say?" Ikaruga muttered, as her brow twitched in irritation. In the blink of an eye, Ikaruga unsheathed her blade and sliced all of Shô's cards, straight down their paper-thin middle. Shô's eyes widened in fear as he watched his cards slowly drift to the ground.

"N-No way..." Shô said, taking a frightened step back. "I could barely see her sword moving."

"There is nothing in this universe that I cannot slice." Ikaruga said, as she grabbed one of Shô's sliced cards out of the air and sheathed her katana. Shô gasped when Ikaruga shot him a fierce glare. "And I don't very much like being called a hag." Before Shô could utter a reply, he suddenly felt an excruciating pain coming from his chest. Glancing down, Shô nearly screamed in horror when he saw a large x-shaped cut across his chest. Moments later blood erupted from the wound, causing Shô to collapse to the ground.

"AH!" Shô screamed in pain, dropping Erza's card as he fell to the ground. "When...When did you even..."

"Shô!" Erza shouted, as she frantically pounded on the card.

"Oh my, so that's where you were hiding?" Ikaruga said with a small smirk, gazing at where Erza's card had fallen. "Erza-san."

"Shô! You have have to listen to me now! Get me out of here right away!" Erza exclaimed, as she pressed herself up against the card's edge. "She is definitely not an opponent you can beat!"

"D-Don't worry...nee-san...that card has a protection on it..." Shô struggled to say, coughing up a mouthful of blood. "Nobody on the outside can possibly hurt you."

"Oh?" Ikaruga said, as she reached for her blade once again. "Care to test that theory?"

"Shô! Let me out now damn it!" Erza screamed with a panicked look in her eyes. "That woman's sword isn't normal!"

"I told you not to worry...she can't-" Shô was cut off when Ikaruga began to slice at the card Erza was in. He was about to reassure Erza, but his eyes widened when he saw that Erza was forced to block Ikaruga's attacks. "She...she cut inside the card! But that means she's cutting into a completely different dimension!" Ikaruga only sped up her attacks, forcing Erza to equip another sword to block her rapid attacks. Shô began to panic when the card Erza was in was suddenly cut to pieces. "Nee-san!" But in a blinding flash of light, Erza landed in front of Shô with a dull thud. The scarlet-haired knight was panting slightly, as she unequipped her second sword. "W-What?!"

"Thanks to that woman, there was a distortion in the card's space." Erza explained, as she glared at Ikaruga. "I sliced through that and made my escape."

_"That Ikaruga woman has a sword that can surpass dimensional boundaries, which is pretty amazing." _Shô thought, staring at both Erza and Ikaruga in awe. _"But to be able to take advantage of that in an instant...nee-san truly is incredible. She's so magnificent that I'm at a loss for words."_

"I have no quarrel with you." Erza said, as she pointed her sword at Ikaruga. "So I will ask you to kindly step out of my way..." Erza's eyes hardened as she tightened her grip on her sword. "If you don't I will force my way through."

"Hoho." Ikaruga said with an amused smirk. "I rather like that look in your eyes. Maybe you will end up being a worthy opponent after all."

"What are you-" Erza stopped talking when she heard several loud creaks. Looking down, Erza's eyes shot open when she saw that her armor was falling apart. Then with one loud crack, Erza's armor and sword both exploded into pieces. Both Erza and Shô watched in shock as the pieces of metal clattered onto the ground. "H-How?"

"That was my way of greeting you." Ikaruga said with an evil look in her eyes. She couldn't help but chuckle when she saw the disbelief on Erza's face. "Oh? Don't tell me...you couldn't see me move either? Maybe you won't be a worthy opponent after all."

_"This woman..." _Erza thought, as she tightly clenched her fists in fear and anger. _"She's unlike any opponent I've faced before." _Suddenly Erza clutched a hand over her racing heart. _"Natsu...lend me your strength." _

* * *

(Same Time: With Natsu and Simon)

"Are you okay, Natsu?" Simon asked, noticing that the pink-haired dragon slayer had suddenly stopped walking.

"Yeah...I'm fine." Natsu muttered in reply, as he clutched a hand over his suddenly aching heart. He wasn't sure, but Natsu swore he had briefly heard Erza's voice. _"Erza...she's fighting someone right now...I can feel it." _A small smile formed on Natsu's face as he tightened the grip over his heart. _"I believe in your strength Erza...you're one of the strongest people I know. You'll win and come back to me and everyone for sure, just like you always do." _

* * *

**And done! I felt that this was an appropriate stopping point for now. Next chapter will have the Erza vs. Ikaruga fight and her confrontation with Jellal, and possibly even Natsu's fight against Jellal. There are nine chapters remaining in the main part of the Tower of Heaven arc. So I should be able to finish this arc up either next chapter, if I do that it will be a longer chapter, or the chapter after that for sure. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK), and PM me any ideas you have for any of my fics. Also remember to check out my Gurren Lagann fic when you get the chance. I should hopefully have the next chapter out soon. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	28. Chapter 28 Natsu vs Jellal

**Hey guys, I'm back with the first quick update chapter! This chapter will have Erza's fight against Ikaruga and her finally confronting Jellal. If everything goes well, I might actually finish this arc with this chapter, but we'll just have to wait and see. This fic is extremely close to 700 reviews, so lets see if we can pass it with this chapter. Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!**

**P.S. Several of you have commented on how I've been developing Ultear, and have asked for her to be in the main harem. All I can say is that for now she will stay in the 'side' harem along with the other girls. However, I may have an idea for her to become a member of the main harem, but that won't be happening for a very long time, the Alvarez Empire arc to be exact. That should give you a hint on how I plan to possibly add her.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.**

* * *

(With Erza and Shô)

_"Natsu..." _Erza thought, feeling a sudden rush of confidence flood her body. She could almost feel Natsu standing beside her, offering words of encouragement. With a small smile, Erza opened her eyes and gazed at her opponent. _"Thank you for believing in me Natsu and lending me some of your strength."_

"Oh, looks like you've become more confident all of a sudden." Ikaruga said, as she quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "But I hope you are more focused now. Because you were so focused on reaching Jellal-san, you failed to noticed the whirlwind of slices surrounding you."

_"Nee-san...she so serious all of a sudden, and she seems to be exuding confidence now." _Shô thought, staring at Erza in awe. _"What happened to her?" _

"You see I am no mere passerby on the road to be ignored." Ikaruga said, as she began to reach for her katana. "It would be best not to underestimate me."

"I see that now." Erza said, a bright glowing bathing her entire body. When the light died down, Erza was equipped in her **Heaven's Wheel **armor. "You're an enemy that must be cut down."

"I hope you're prepared..." Ikaruga said with a small smirk, as she slowly slide into her fighting stance. "Because here I come."

In the blink of an eye, Ikaruga and Erza rushed forward and clashed swords. Then with lightning fast movements Erza and Ikaruga traded blows, both trying to get an advantage over the other. Because of Ikaruga's incredible speed, Erza was forced to use two swords to effectively fight her. As their blades continued to clash, the smirk never left Ikaruga's face. It was almost as if she was taunting Erza, and it was seriously starting to irritate her. Seeing a possible opening, Ikaruga stabbed her katana at Erza's stomach. However, the scarlet-haired knight was prepared for this and leaped over Ikaruga's blade, front-flipping in the air. Now having the advantage, Erza prepared to attack.

"**Circle Sword**!" Over a dozen razor-sharp swords materialized in front of Erza. With a flick of her wrists, the swords began to rapidly spin like a buzzsaw. Erza then thrust her arm forward, causing the spinning swords to fly towards Ikaruga. However, Erza was surprised to see that Ikaruga appeared to be making no attempt to dodge her attack. Instead Ikaruga merely took a calming breath and once again slide into her fighting stance.

"**Form of the Moonless Sky**..." Then with blinding speed, Ikaruga spun around, her blade hitting all of Erza's in one fluid motion. "**Y****asha's Empty Flash**." Moments later, Erza and Shô watched in stunned silence as all of Erza's swords shattered to pieces.

"A-All my swords..." Erza said underneath her breath, as she grit her teeth. _"She took out all my swords so quickly in one attack. This woman is seriously bad news!" _

"Oh, I hit more than just your swords." Ikaruga said with a dark chuckle, snapping her fingers. Then out of nowhere Erza screamed out in pain, as the armor she was wearing exploded off her body.

"AH!" Erza howled, as her armor crumbled to pieces.

"I'm not finished with you yet. **Form of the Moonless Sky**..." Ikaruga said, slashing her sword at Erza, unleashing a wave of bright orange flames. "**Garuda Flames**."

_"I have to act quick." _Erza thought, as she raised her arms to block the intense flames. "**Re-equip: Flame Empress Armor**!" Erza had managed to equip the armor just before the flames struck her. The scarlet-haired knight grunted as her armor took the brunt of the attack. Despite the armor's resistance to fire, Erza was quickly overwhelmed and sent crashing through a nearby wall.

"Hmm, a form of flame-resistant armor?" Ikaruga asked in an amused tone, staring at the hole Erza had flown through. "I'm quite impressed you managed to equip it fast enough to defend yourself."

_"What...the hell were those flames?" _Erza thought, as she dragged herself out of the hole she had created. _"Not even Natsu's flames could do that to my **Flame Empress Armor**...maybe not his blue flames, but I really don't want to test that out. That means her fire is on a completely different level. I'll have to-" _Erza's thoughts were cut off when she felt an intense pain wrack her entire body. "W-What..." Without warning, Erza's **Flame Empress Armor **fell apart, leaving her dressed in her tattered black bran and panties. "H-How?"

"Don't you think it's rather unladylike to expose yourself like that when there are men present?" Ikaruga asked, giggling behind her hand. However, Ikaruga's eyes suddenly hardened as her ever-present smirk returned. "Come now. I want a real challenge, so I suggest you bring out your strongest armor."

"T-This witch..." Shô said, as he began to shake in fear.

"Fine..." Erza snarled, her anger spiking considerably. Tightly balling her fists, Erza was encased in a blinding light. "You want one of my strongest armors then that's what I'll use. None have seen this armor and lived to tell the tale, you've been warned." When the light encasing Erza died down, it revealed an almost demonic set of armor. The armor was ink black color with many spiked features. The chest plate was entirely black except for a small arrow like inward protrusion on both sides near her stomach. The plate was lined with several spikes that ran from top to bottom. Multiple layered shoulder guards connected to the chest plate and featured several pyramid shaped spikes that protruded outward. Around Erza's neck was a large necklace of spikes, matching the ones found around the chest plate but much larger. A lighter colored metal covered her upper arms before connecting to the black arm guards. The arm guards sported two metal straps and two spiked protrusions near the elbows. At her waist, she wore a multi-layered spike skirt ending in the spikes found in the shoulder guards. Around her waist was a simple banded belt. The tops of her legs remained exposed before her greaves started just above her knees. Above the knee, the greaves were sectioned off, featuring two spikes per section. At the knee, a diamond like pattern formed with several spikes at the outward facing side. Below the knee, the spikes move to the side of the leg and are placed in even intervals all the way down. Erza's hair was spiked outward, similar to the armor's design. "Witness it and despair! **Re-equip: Purgatory Armor**!"

But before Erza could even move or utilize her new armor, Ikaruga shot forward in a flash, appearing behind Erza a moment later. Erza spit up a mouthful of blood, as she collapsed to the ground, her most powerful armor shattered and in ruins.

"So that was your strongest armor? I must say I'm quite disappointed. So, do you understand yet?" Ikaruga asked, resheathing her katana. "No matter what armor you where, it cannot stop my blade. I highly suggest you surrender."

_"She...can't win." _Shô thought, as tears formed in his eyes, staring at Erza's motionless form. _"Nee-san can't win." _

_"I...I can't do it..." _Erza thought, tears streaming from her left eye, as she tightly closed her eyes in self-hatred. _"I-I can't beat her. She took out my strongest armor as if it were nothing at all. Maybe I should give up-" _

_"I belive in you Erza..." _The scarlet-haired knight's eyes widened when she clearly heard Natsu's voice in the back of her mind. His voice was faint, but Erza knew she had heard it. She could almost feel him standing next to her, encouraging her to press on. _"You're one of the strongest people I know. You'll win and come back to me and everyone else for sure, just like you always do."_

_"Natsu...you always believed in me more than anyone else, more than I even believed in myself." _Erza thought, gritting her teeth as she struggled to stand back onto her feet. _"You always trusted in my strength, even when I was at my weakest and filled with doubt. You were always by my side, pushing me to never give up!" _Standing on shaky legs, Erza glared at Ikaruga. _"I'm ashamed that I was prepared to give up so easily. I now know what I have to do..." _Erza's body was again bathed in a bright light, but what she equipped into was radically different from her previous armors. She wore no armor, but what appeared to be normal clothing. The outfit was primarily red with some yellow, black and white in color. The clothing consisted of a sarashi around Erza's upper chest and a red hakama with a yellow flame-like pattern at the bottom with black highlights, tied together by white strings. Erza's brilliant scarlet hair was tied up in a high tail at the back. _"With you by my side Natsu, I know that I can accomplish anything and defeat any enemy." _

"What is the meaning of this?" Ikaruga asked, shocked by Erza's strange choice of attire. "I can feel no magic emanating from that outfit you're wearing. It's simply fabric, that's all."

"Just fabric?!" Shô exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. _"What is nee-san __thinking!?"_

"Tch, and after I went through such efforts to show you the extent of my skills." Ikaruga said, a hint of irritation in her voice, as her brow twitched slightly. "It would appear that you're underestimating me."

"Nee-san!" Shô cried out, as he managed to get back onto his knees. "What's wrong with you?! You have tons of strong armors left, don't you!? You're stronger than this, aren't you?!"

"No. I am not strong at all." Erza said, equipping two katanas into her hands. _"I'm not...I failed to protect the people I cared about all those years ago...and...I was always crying...every night I would cry and I'd rely on someone else to help me stop...so I always tried my hardest to make myself seem stronger than I actually was...I locked away my heart behind a suit or armor...and I cried...but one person managed to chip away at the armor around my heart...and he's the reason I can keep fighting, even against insurmountable odds...I fight so that I can always stay by his side..." _Erza's eyes filled with determination, as she locked eyes with Ikaruga. "It's because I am weak that I always hide behind a suit of armor. I could never seem to take that armor off."

"Even if my opponent is naked..." Ikaruga said, as she grabbed ahold of her katana. "I'll cut them down."

"I always thought that my armor would keep me safe..." Erza said, a small smile spreading across her face. "But that wasn't right. The man that I love showed me that I don't need to lock myself away behind anymore. He showed me that I was strong, even without my armor. He taught me, without even saying it, that I was blocking the link that allows people's hearts to connect." Erza's grip on her katanas tightened considerably and she glared at Ikaruga. "Natsu and all my nakama at Fairy Tail showed me the truth. That it's much better to be close to people, to feel the warmth that they can give. Then to shun them and push them away."

"I don't have time for your pointless babel!" Ikaruga exclaimed, as she charged towards Erza. "Prepare yourself little fairy!"

"My doubts have all vanished!" Erza yelled, preparing to meet Ikaruga's attack head on. "I will change my entire self into strength...and with Natsu and my nakama behind me...I will defeat you!"

"This is the end!" Ikaruga shouted, as she raised her blade to attack Erza.

Both swordsmen shot forward and met in a head on attack. In the blink of an eye Erza and Ikaruga traded blows, both standing where the other had been previously. Ikaruga's ever-present confident smirk was still on her face, as she sheathed her blade. A moment later, Erza hissed in pain as a large wound opened up on her shoulder, splattering blood onto the floor. Erza simply grit her teeth and endured the stabbing pain.

"Looks like you lose-" Ikaruga said just before her eyes shot open. She suddenly felt and excruciating pain coming from her chest. Glancing down, Ikaruga gasped when she saw blood spraying from a massive slice that ran across her chest and abdomen. Ikaruga coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground. "I-Impossible..."

_"Natsu..." _Erza thought, panting heavily as she fought to stay standing, despite fatigue and numerous wounds. _"I couldn't have done it without you believing in me."_

"All right! Nee-san, you're totally awesome!" Shô cheered, as he let out a cry of victory.

"That...was quite...impressive..." Ikaruga struggled to say, blood steadily leaking from her mouth. "I never...been defeated...not once...since the guild was founded...until today...however...both you and Jellal...are destined for defeat..." The life began to drain from Ikaruga's eyes, as she shakily raised her hand towards the ceiling. "Just fifteen more minutes...see it rain down...the shining light of justice...shall bring death to us all..." With one last struggled breath, Ikaruga closed her eyes permanently.

"Fifteen minutes?!" Erza exclaimed, applying pressure to her bleeding shoulder. "She has to be talking about **Etherion**!" Turning around, Erza saw that Shô was slowly getting back onto his feet. "Are you okay, Shô?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay somehow..." Shô replied, as he hugged his slashed chest. "I was lucky that she didn't cut me too deep, the bleeding has already stopped."

"Shô listen to me very carefully." Erza said in serious tone that left no room for argument. "You have to find Simon and the others, and my nakama as well, and get them far away from this tower." Shô was about to say something, but Erza cut him off. "You'll do this for me, won't you Shô?"

"Yeah..." Shô replied, as he watched Erza nod her head and turn to leave. "But what are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to finish this." Erza said in a menacing tone, her eyes full of anger and determination. "Everything will end today." Erza tightly closed her eyes to fight back her tears. _"I'm sorry Natsu, but I guess I won't be able to give you my answer. I have to end this to save you all." _

* * *

(With Natsu and Simon)

"Why did you send the blue cat off?" Simon asked, as he walked up next to the dual dragon slayer.

"Gray will probably need help getting Lucy and Juvia out of the tower." Natsu replied with a shrug of his shoulder. "I figured Happy could carry one of them if they were too exhausted to walk...You know what..." Natsu turned to face Simon. "We haven't been formally introduced."

"Oh, my name is Simon. I'm one of Erza's old nakama." However, before Simon could say anymore, he suddenly cringed in pain and collapsed onto his knees.

"Oi! You okay Simon!?" Natsu asked, as he crouched down next to Simon. "Are you hurt or something!?"

"D-Don't...worry about me...you have to listen...Natsu..." Simon struggled to say, clutching the side of his head. "I just got a transmission from Wally and Milliana. They found Lucy and Juvia collapsed on the ground, along with a member from Death's Head Caucus." Natsu breathed a sigh of relief hearing that Lucy and Juvia were okay. "Since they didn't know what was happening, I told them to get Lucy and Juvia out of the tower. According to a transmission from Shô, all the members of Trinity Raven have been defeated."

"Good, I feel much better knowing that Lucy and Juvia will be safe now." Natsu said, as he gazed at the ceiling above them. "That means there's only one thing left."

"The only remaining enemy is Jellal himself. And Erza is heading to face him as we speak." Simon explained, slowly standing back onto his feet. "She's trying to deal with him alone, with her own two hands. The two of them have shared a bond of resentment for the past eight years now. It may be that their battle is destined by fate. However Jellal is simply too powerful...Please Natsu. You must save Erza."

"Nah, Erza can handle it." Natsu said, which caused Simon's eyes to widen in shock.

"Why...why...are you refusing..." Simon asked, tightly balling his fists in anger. "To save Erza...to save one of your own nakama!?"

"It's true that I want to see Jellal and kick his ass, but he's Erza's enemy, so I say she should be the one to beat him." Natsu replied, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "This isn't something I should just barge in on. Once Erza takes Jellal down, I'll talk with him and find out what the hell is going on."

"You don't understand!" Simon exclaimed, tightly holding onto Natsu's shoulders. "Erza has no hope of defeating Jellal!"

"Oi!" Natsu yelled, as he roughly through Simon's hands off his shoulders. "I don't give a shit if you wanna mock me, but don't you fucking dare insult Erza or any of my nakama, you bastard!"

"No! This is not a simple matter of strength or magical power!" Simon shouted in anger, grabbing ahold of Natsu's scarf. "Erza..." Simon suddenly grit his teeth in frustration. "Erza is still hoping she can save Jellal somehow!" Natsu's eyes widened as the gears in his head suddenly started to turn. "I just know it! She doesn't have it in her to actually kill Jellal!"

All of a sudden everything seemed to click for Natsu. _"Jellal...he must be the other man Erza loves..." _Natsu simply stared ahead dumbfounded, as Simon let go of his scarf. _"But...But how can that be? Did Erza somehow meet Jellal before I met her?" _

"Jellal is a cunning man." Simon said, as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "He will use Erza's feelings for him against her."

_"That son of a bitch..." _Natsu thought, tightly balling his fists as rage slowly filled his body. _"What the hell has happened to him these past seven years? The Jellal I know would never do something like that." _

"But it's far worse than that. You know that the council is planning to fire **Etherion **upon this place, right?" Simon explained in a grave tone. "And of course if that happens, then everyone inside this tower will die. According to Shô, there is only fifteen...no...only ten minutes left now."

"WHAT!?" Natsu exclaimed, this sudden revelation shocking him to his core.

"Erza went off on her own, telling Shô to get everyone out of the tower." Simon said, as Natsu slowly began to realize what Erza was truly planning. "You know Erza probably better than anyone here, yes? It pains me to say this...but she is likely planning on using **Etherion **to die, taking Jellal with her."

"God damn it..." Natsu breathed out, shaking violently as he grit his teeth. "Why didn't she just say something to me?" Without warning brilliant blue flames exploded off Natsu's entire body, sending Simon flying back several feet. "What the hell is she thinking!?"

_"What are these flames?!" _Simon thought, as he shield his face from the intense heat and light. _"I've never felt flames so hot before!" _

"Where the hell did Erza go!?" Natsu roared, sending out a shockwave of pure heat. The dual dragon slayer turned to Simon and hoisted the the large man to his feet with one hand, the scorching heat singeing Simon's hair and skin. "You! You're going to take me to Erza! Now!"

"Alright! Just calm down Natsu!" Simon exclaimed, as Natsu's flames started to burn his skin.

"No! I will not calm down!" Natsu yelled, putting out the raging flames that encased his body. "Erza's life is on the line and I will not let her die in this fucking tower! I've already lost someone precious to me! I will not allow that to happen again!"

* * *

(Same Time: Jellal's Throne Room)

"Oh my..." Jellal said, as he used a knight chess piece to knock over the piece that represented Ikaruga. "It looks like the game is already over, what a pity."

"Is it that really fun, playing games by yourself?" Erza asked, stopping a few feet away from Jellal.

"But of course." Jellal replied in a smug tone, not turning around to face Erza. "Life and death are the very basis of life; they intensify every emotion. Or to put it another way, there is nothing quite as dull as life. I must say it has been quite some time." Jellal finally turned to face the scarlet-haired knight. "Erza."

"Jellal." Erza said, as she glared at her former nakama.

"You could have easily escaped this tower at any time. I'm curious, why didn't you?" Jellal asked, resting his hands in his pockets.

"I'm here to free all of my former nakama." Erza replied, as she pointed her sword at Jellal.

"I could care less about them, they're no longer of any use to me." Jellal said, earning a slight growl from the scarlet-haired knight. "Not with the Tower of Heaven complete."

"Even if it were to be destroyed seven minutes from now?" Erza asked, which caused Jellal to chuckle darkly.

"You mean **Etherion**?" Jellal said, reaching for his hood.

"You seem quite unconcerned...so you were really bluffing." Erza said, as she unconsciously tightened her grip on her sword.

"Oh, you're quite wrong..." Jellal said, lowering his hood to reveal his face. "**Etherion **will fall."

"That is what I wished to hear!" Erza exclaimed, as she raised her sword above her head. "I simply need to keep you here for seven more minutes! I will be able to bring an end to all of this!"

"Oh, no...you are going to die, as a sacrifice to Zeref." Jellal said with a crazed look on his face. "That is a pure fact. It is your destiny!" Jellal darkly chuckled once again and pointed at Erza. "There is only seven minutes left. In seven minutes' time **Etherion **will strike this tower. Why don't we enjoy these last seven minutes, Erza."

"Right now, I have no fear in my heart." Erza said, taking a powerful step towards Jellal. "Even if **Etherion **hits, I will satisfied as long as I take you with me."

"Oh? You're not saddened that you'll never see your beloved Natsu Dragneel again?" Jellal asked with a twisted smile. "Aren't you afraid of leaving the man you love?" Erza's whole body tensed when Jellal said this. "Just think how devastated he'll be."

"Natsu is stronger than you can possibly imagine..." Erza said, lowering her head so that Jellal couldn't see the sadness in her eyes. "If I die here today...he'll be in pain for some time...but he's got so many people who love and support him...he'll eventually bounce back...he's done it once before, he can do it again...beside I'm doing this to protect him and everyone else...you must be stopped at all costs." Erza quickly raised her arm to wipe away the tears that had been forming in her eye. _"And with this I can start to make up for all the pain I've caused Natsu the past few years." _

"Well it matters not, you will be sacrificed to Zeref and die today." Jellal said, as dark magic began to swirl around him. "Here I come, Erza!" Thrusting his hand forward, a barrage of dark apparitions materialized and raced towards Erza. The scarlet-haired knight reacted quickly and dodged the attack, using her sword to cut through any spirit that got too close. However, Jellal was till on the offensive, as he pointed his index and middle finger at Erza. Mid-dodge, Erza was hit by a powerful burst of magic, sending her crashing through a window, plummeting towards the water several stories below. But Erza's honed reflexes allowed her to spot a large piece of debris, and use it like a springboard, rocketing back up towards the tower. Bursting back into the back into the throne room, Erza shot towards Jellal.

"You boast about just finishing this tower and now you're smashing it up!?" Erza questioned, vertically slashing her sword at Jellal. "I truly don't know what to say."

"Heh, it's merely a pillar or two." Jellal sneered, as he easily dodged Erza's attack. "Nothing more than decoration."

"Shô and the others wasted eight long years of their lives, believing in you..." Erza roared, thrusting her blade towards Jellal's stomach. But Jellal anticipated this and leaped back to avoid the attack. "To make these fucking decorations!"

"You must be getting quite upset Erza, because you're starting to get sloppy." Jellal taunted, as he raised his hand, a sphere of dark magic forming in his palm. "And spare me your petty word games. What's really important here is the **R-System**. That's what those eight years were spent building." With a twisted grin, Jellal hurled the ball of magic at Erza. "And now it's finally complete!" The dark magic hit Erza and started to engulf her entire body. However, Jellal was surprised when Erza sliced through his magic with her sword, freeing herself. Using Jellal's shock to her advantage, Erza shot forward and slashed Jellal across the stomach with her blade. Hissing in pain, Jellal was forced the ground by Erza. _"This can't be...the same Erza!" _Standing over Jellal, Erza aimed her blade directly at his face.

"What are you really after?" Erza asked, pressing her blade against Jellal's throat, letting to slightly dig into his flesh. "You haven't truly completed the **R-System**, have you?" Erza's eyes hardened as she dug his heel into Jellal's chest. "Don't think I've been sitting idle for the past eight years. I've done my research on the **R-System**. It might be true that you built the building perfectly, following the blueprints from all those years ago. But you're still missing one basic thing to actually complete the **R-System**."

"I already told you..." Jellal said, as he smirked up at Erza. "You're going to be the sacrifice."

"I'm talking about something even more basic than that." Erza said, leaning her face closer to Jellal's. "The one thing you're lacking is...magic. To activate a spell on such a large scale...requires a total of two billion, seven hundred million Edeas of sheer magical power. We're talking about the kind of magic you possibly couldn't achieve even if you gathered all the mages on this continent. It is impossible for a single person to gather all that magic and store it in this tower." Erza's eyes narrowed as her mind raced. "And that's not the only thing. You seem to be perfectly aware of the council's desires to destroy this tower, yet you made now move to escape. What exactly are you planning?"

"Three minutes until **Etherion **hits..." Jellal said cryptically with a smile on his face.

"Jellal! Your dream is finished! It was over a long time ago!" Erza exclaimed, her grip on her sword tightening considerably. "Do you really intend to just die here, right now!? If that's so then you're going to die with me! I'll hold you down right here, until that final moment arrives!"

"Y-Yeah...that doesn't sound too bad." Jellal said in a surprisingly sad tone, which caused Erza to pause momentarily. "My body was possessed by Zeref's ghost. There was nothing I could do...I was nothing more than a pawn, working to bring about Zeref's resurrection."

"Possessed?" Erza parroted in a confused tone.

"In the end I couldn't save myself...my nakama couldn't either...there was nobody who could save me..." Jellal said, which caused Erza's eyes to slowly widen. "Heaven...freedom...In the end they were nowhere in sight...it was all over before it had even begun."

* * *

(Same Time: Magical Council Headquarters)

"The final phase of the **Etherion **firing sequence is complete."

"Expand the **Satellite Square**!"

"Thus we pray." Org said, closing his eyes and lowering his head.

"Thus we pray." The rest of the council members said, as they followed Org's example.

"Thus we pray." Siegrain said, not noticing Yajima's eyes scrutinizing his every move.

* * *

(Same Time: With Everyone Outside the Tower)

Wally and Milliana had managed to carry Juvia and Lucy out of the tower, where they met up with Shô, Happy, and Gray on their way out. Lucy and Juvia were still out cold, as everyone piled onto a small boat, and began to row as far away from the tower as possible. When the small boat was almost a mile away from the Tower of Heaven, a shining light filled the night sky, revealing a massive magic circle over the tower.

"W-Whoa, whoa, are they seriously going to fire **Etherion**!?" Wally exclaimed, pointing at the immense magical circle.

"Natsu...Erza..." Happy whimpered, as tears formed in his eyes. "You've gotta get out of there...please."

"Natsu..." Lucy muttered in her sleep, grabbing ahold of Juvia's hand.

"Please stay safe..." Juvia breathed out, as tightened her hold on Lucy's hand."

* * *

(Back With Erza and Jellal)

"I knew I could never really complete the **R-System**..." Jellal said, the room beginning to shake and crumble around them. "But...Zeref's ghost wouldn't allow me to stop. I...cannot stop what's been set in motion. I'm just a broken-down tool. Erza...you win this fight...so please, kill me. That's what you came here for, right?" Erza grit her teeth as an image of Jellal, the Jellal she still loved, flashed through her mind.

"There's no need for me to lift a finger...this rumbling..." Erza said, as she relaxed her grip on her sword. "The **Satellite Square **must already be expanding over this tower." Hanging her head, Erza dropped her sword next to Jellal. "It's over. For you...and for me."

"You were always like this..." Jellal said with a light chuckle, sitting back up.

"You were just another sacrifice to Zeref too, weren't you?" Erza asked, as she sat down next to Jellal.

"This is my punishment, for giving into my own weakness." Jellal replied, looking down at his hands. "My heart just couldn't make up the huge gap between dream and reality."

"But don't you think that burying your weaknesses, the things you lack, deep away..." Erza said quietly, before she smiled at Jellal. "Is what nakama are for? I have sins to atone fore as well...one of which was not saving you."

"Oh no, Erza..." Jellal said, as he hugged Erza. "You saved me." Erza wrapped her arms around Jellal, just as the tower was bathed in a bright light. However, as Erza embraced Jellal, she didn't notice the evil smile that spread across his face.

* * *

(Same Time: Several Floors Below)

"This light..." Simon muttered, glancing out the window he was leaning against. "So we were too late...it's over."

"Erza!" Natsu growled, as he raced up the stairs towards Jellal's throne room. "There's no way I'm going to let you die here!" As Natsu ascended another flight of stairs, **Etherion **hit the tower.

The massive beam of magic rocked the entire tower, and created massive waves that quickly capsized the small boat Lucy and everyone else was in. However, the sudden jolt had awoken Juvia. The bluenette water mage reacted quickly and encased everyone in an sphere of water, saving them all from being washed away by the towering waves of water.

* * *

(Back at the Magical Council's Headquarters)

"**Etherion **was successfully fired! It was a direct hit! I repeat a direct hit!"

"Has the tower been successfully destroyed!? We need a conformation now!"

"Ethernano fusion density is increasing steadily."

"This will likely cause unusual weather conditions."

"Just how many people were in that tower?" Org asked in a grave tone, as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We have prevented the resurrection of Zeref." Michello replied, glancing down at the bustling mages, who were busy assessing **Etherion****'s **damage. "If a few were sacrificed, then it was for a good cause."

"We can try to justify our actions all we like..." Org said, as his eyes filled with regret. "But it will never heal the hearts of the families of those who have perished."

"Wait! Something seems to be countering the Ethernano in the very epicenter of the blast!" This sudden exclamation got the attention of all the council members. "N-No...this is...!"

"Fusion density has suddenly gone into rapid decline!"

"We're getting readings of a separate energy, an incredible magical power!"

"Our equipment can't seem to keep up!"

"What is happening?!"

"I'm trying to restore visuals now!"

"What the hell is going on here?!" Org exclaimed in a panicked tone, as he tightly gripped the railing in front of him.

"I've reacquired visual on the target!"

"What! I can't believe it! The target is still standing! N-No! What...What is that thing!?"

"It looks like a giant lacrima crystal!"

"The crystal...seems to have absorbed **Etherion****'s** magical energy!"

"What!?" All of the council members exclaimed simultaneously.

* * *

(With Lucy and the Others)

"Natsu..." Happy breathed out, staring at the cloud of smoke and debris, which was all that seemed to remain of the Tower of Heaven. "...Erza."

"Damn it..." Gray said underneath his breath, as he fought back tears. "God damn it..."

"Natsu..." Juvia whimpered, cupping a hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please just let Juvia be dreaming. This isn't really happening."

"Nee-san..." Shô cried, as he fell to his knees. "Why didn't you save yourself?"

"They're not dead." Lucy said suddenly, which shocked everyone present. The celestial spirit mage subconsciously rubbed her mate mark. "I know Natsu is still okay, and that means Erza is alive as well...I can still sense his presence." Just then the smoke began to dissipate, revealing a massive crystal in place of the tower.

"What...What is that..." Juvia asked, staring at the crystal tower in utter shock. "It's so eerie looking..."

"The tower's walls have crumbled away." Gray said, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Leaving behind some type of crystal?"

"Natsu and Erza are still alive in there." Lucy said to herself, clutching a hand over her racing heart. "I just know they are...they have to be."

* * *

(With Erza and Jellal)

"What?" Erza asked, shocked to find out that she was still alive. She glanced down at her hands to confirm that she truly hadn't died. "I'm...still alive?" As Erza tried to comprehend why she was still in the land of the living, she was surprised to hear Jellal start chuckling. "Jellal?" Without warning, Jellal broke out into full brown maniacal laughter.

"Finally!" Jellal exclaimed, as he outstretched his arms. "Finally the time has come!"

"You..." Erza said, staring at Jellal in shock. "What's going on?"

"Haha! Surprised, aren't you Erza?" Jellal asked with an amused smirk on his face. "This is the true form of the Tower of Heaven. A gigantic pillar of lacrima. And with the power of the council's **Etherion**...I have succeeded in acquiring two billion, seven hundred million Edeas of magical power! Finally the **R-System **is truly complete!"

"You...you bastard!" Erza exclaimed, tightly balling her fists as her body filled with rage. "You tricked me!"

"Oh, you're just so very cute Erza." A new, yet familiar, voice said from behind the scarlet-haired knight. Wiping around, Erza was stunned to see Siegrain walking towards her. "Neither Jellal nor I could provide the necessary magical power. It was a truly precarious situation; I had no choice but the deceive you."

"Siegrain!" Erza yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the Jellal look-a-like. "W-What are you doing here!?"

"Think back to the first time we met, Erza. You and Makarov came to give me a written apology." Siegrain explained, as a small smirk spread across his face. "You mistook me for Jellal and attacked me instantly. We do share the same face, so I can hardly blame you...After some time I finally managed to calm you down by telling you that I was Jellal's brother. But I don't think you ever truly stopped despising me."

"And why the hell should have I?!" Erza exclaimed, glaring fiercely at Siegrain. "Your his older brother, and yet you did nothing to stop him! No ever worse, you were keeping watch over him!"

"Yes...it would seem that I made a mistake there." Siegrain said, as he walked over to Jellal's side. "I probably should have said something like, 'I'll find Jellal and kill him for sure.' But perhaps my greatest miscalculation was meeting you in the first place Erza, especially after I had finally managed to become a member of the council."

"Yes, having to come up with an excuse on the spot isn't easy." Jellal said with a smirk of his own.

"I knew it...you two were working together the whole time." Erza said, as she grit her teeth in anger. "

"Working together? Looks like you still aren't understanding Erza." Siegrain said, his body beginning to fade away, causing Erza's eyes to widen in shock. Jellal and Siegrain now spoke in unison. "The two of us are one and the same. We always have been."

"N-No...this...can't be..." Erza muttered, as she took a step back. "A thought projection!?"

"Yes." Jellal replied, Siegrain having full vanished now. "Siegrain is me, there's nothing more to it."

"Not possible!" Erza exclaimed, slightly tugging on her scarlet locks. "B-But then, it was you who just fired **Etherion**...at your own body! You're telling me that's why you snaked your way onto the council!?"

"I hope you've enjoyed your illusion of freedom, Erza." Jellal said in a menacing tone, as he become shrouded in an ominous aura. "It was all a part of my plan...a plan to resurrect Zeref."

"Exactly how many people do you plan to deceive you scum!?" Erza roared, causing Jellal to chuckle darkly. "What the hell is so funny!?"

"Hahaha..." Jellal laughed, just as Erza felt his magical power spike considerably. The blue-haired man grinned evilly, clenching and unclenching his fist. "My power...my magic has finally been fully restored."

* * *

(Same Time: Magical Council Headquarters)

"The Tower of Heaven has absorbed all two billion, seven hundred million Edeas of magic!"

"That much concentrated in magic in one spot should have created a huge explosion!"

"What in Earthland is happening!?"

We've...We've been had!" Yajima exclaimed, as the council building suddenly began to collapse around him. "Damn it!"

"The building seems to be aging at an incredibly accelerated rate!" Org said, the floor crumbling away at his feet. "Is this the lost magic **Arc of Time**?!"

"Watch out everyone!" Belno yelled, as she dodged a flurry of falling debris. "We need to get out of her now!"

Yajima watched in horror as people the council's headquarters fell to pieces all around him, and people scrambled to escape the rapidly decaying building. However, amidst the chaos and screams, Yajima spotted Ultear standing by herself in the middle of all the commotion.

"Ultear..." Yajima said, approaching the motionless woman.

"It was all for Siegrain-sama..." Ultras said, as she turned to face Yajima with a smirk on her face. "No...for Jellal-sama. That man's dream is about to be fulfilled." Then in a brief flash, Ultear was gone, leaving behind a very confused Yajima. Moments later Ultear reappeared a safe distance away from the council's headquarters. With a small smile Ultear pulled out her crystal orb, an image of a pink-haired dragon slayer within it. "Now Natsu Dragneel...show me how you intend to crush Jellal's dreams and save your precious knight."

* * *

(Back with Jellal and Erza)

"GAH!" Erza screamed, being sent skidding across the floor by a powerful burst of Jellal's magic.

"Where's all your confidence and bravery from before?" Jellal taunted, as he stalked towards Erza. "Did you use it all up fighting Ikaruga?"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Erza roared, equipping a large sword into her right hand and charging Jellal. "I will kill you!" Letting out a low growl, Erza wildly slashed her blade at Jellal, which he easily managed to dodge.

"Right now the council is completely paralyzed." Jellal said, as he continued to dodge Erza's enraged attacks. "I guess I'll have to thank Ultear for that." With an amused smirk, Jellal ducked underneath a slash aimed at his head. "She did quite well, even though it appears that she's become quite attached to that Natsu Dragneel." At the mention of Natsu's name, Erza snarled and swung her blade down towards Jellal's head. But Jellal sidestepped Erza's attack, her blade creating a large crater in the floor.

"Leave Natsu out of this." Erza growled, her furious eyes piercing Jellal like daggers. "This is between you and me, and I won't have you dragging him into this."

"Oh ho, you became quite emotional when I mentioned his name. Maybe before I sacrifice you to Zeref, I'll kill him right in front of you." Jellal said, which caused Erza's eyes to widen in rage, veins bulging on her arms and forehead. "But it matters not, if everyone in heaven is of one mind, I have no need to fear death." With a throaty growl, Erza charged towards Jellal, equipping a second sword into her left hand. The scarlet-haired knight unleashed a fury of strikes with her dual blades, but Jellal managed to avoid all of them. "I should also thank you as well...for your immense stupidity."

"You'll pay for everything you've done...for everyone person you manipulated!" Erza roared, stabbing at Jellal's stomach. The scarlet-haired knight grunted in irritation when Jellal once again dodged her attack. _"This isn't Jellal anymore..." _Erza's grip on her blades tightened considerably. _"This isn't the man I wanted to save anymore..." _Gritting her teeth, Erza raised her swords to try and attack Jellal once again. _"This isn't the man that I loved anymore..." _As Erza moved to strike Jellal, she found that could no longer move her body. Straining to turn her head, Erza spotted a striped red band winding around her entire body. "What...What is this!?"

"It's a **Binding Serpent **spell." Jellal explained with a taunting smirk. "I placed it on you when you hugged me." Erza hissed in pain as the binding spell constricted her body. "Hurts doesn't it?"

"I...I can't move!" Erza grunted out, feeling all her limbs going numb and all her movements being restricted. "I can't feel my arms and legs anymore!"

"I already have the magic collected by the **R-System**." Jellal explained, as he watched Erza collapse to her knees. "Now that I have my sacrifice, Zeref can be revived. I don't have anymore time to play with you, Erza. I will take the 2 billion, seven hundred million Edeas of magic collected in these lacrima crystals and fuse it with your body. You will be broken down and used to recreate Zeref's body." Jellal crouched down in front of Erza and cupped her cheeks. A menacing smile spread across Jellal's face, before he shoved Erza into a large lacrima crystal, her body beginning to sink into it. The scarlet-haired knight screaming in pain as the crystal tried to fuse with her body. "I love you, Erza."

"And I...hate you!" Erza growled, struggling against the lacrima that was dragging her in. "You bastard! Bastard! BASTARD!"

"Oh exalted Zeref! I am here before you!" Jellal exclaimed with a twisted smile, as he outstretched his arms. "Offering this woman's body as a sacrifice!"

"Natsu..." Erza whimpered, her body sinking even deeper into the lacrima, only her head and right arm remaining exposed. Tears formed in Erza's left eye, as she pictured the pink-haired dragon slayer standing before her, making her heart race with his brilliant smile. There were so many thinks she still needed to tell him, so many things she still wanted to experience with him. She couldn't bear the thought of living her life without him by her side. "Natsu...Natsu..." Tears were now streaming down Erza's cheek, only her head and right hand remaining free of the crystal. "NATSU!" Just before Erza's face sank into the lacrima, she felt two strong hands grip her wrist. Then with a mighty yank, Erza was free of the lacrima's hold.

"I got you!" Erza's eyes widened when an all to familiar voice hit her ears. Turning her head, Erza saw that Natsu was grinning at her. "You called?"

"Natsu..." Erza broke down, as she choked back a sob. "You saved me..."

"I'll always save you, Erza." Natsu said sweetly, wiping Erza's tears with his thumb. The dragon slayer then turned his attention to Jellal, who was staring at him intently. "Erza is my girl. I won't let you have her."

"Natsu...I can't move my body." Erza said, as Natsu gently lowered her onto the ground.

"That's fine..." Natsu said, fiercely glaring at Jellal. "I have a bone to pick with this asshole."

"Wait Natsu...he's too dangerous...let's just leave this place." Erza pleaded, which only caused Natsu to shake his head.

"No can do Erza, I've been meaning to talk with this guy ever since I found out he was here." Natsu said, kneeling down next to Erza. "I can't leave until I beat some answers out of him."

"Please Natsu..." Erza begged, as tears once again formed in her left eye. "Just do as I say."

"Erza..." Natsu said in a gentle tone, grabbing ahold of the Erza's hand. "I can win this fight...but I need you to believe in me."

"Natsu...you know I always believe in you, but-" Erza was cut off when Natsu leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"If you believe in me, then let me do this." Natsu said, tightly squeezing Erza's hand to comfort her. "Your life is on the line here Erza, I will not lose. That's a promise."

"And you never break your promises." Erza finished for Natsu, as she chuckled weakly. "Fine...but you better win this...because I have to talk with you when this is all over."

"I'll be looking forward to it." Natsu said with a smile, releasing Erza's hand as he stood back up to face Jellal. The dragon slayer had a frown on his face, as he glared at the blue-haired mage. "So Jellal...long time no see."

_"Natsu...has met Jellal before?" _Erza thought, as he eyes slowly widened. _"He's never mentioned that before." _

"Huh? I believe you're mistaken." Jellal said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "This is the first time we've met. While it's true that I've been observing you for some time, this is the first time we've been face-to-face."

"Don't bullshit me." Natsu growled, as he cracked his knuckles, causing embers to burst out of his hands. "We met almost eight years ago. I ran into you when I was searching for Igneel, and I helped you take out some bandits that were attacking you. I even took a fucking bullet in the shoulder for your ungrateful ass." Natsu's irritation steadily grew as he watched Jellal seemingly become even more confused. The dual dragon slayer tightly balled his fists, and the room's temperature seemed to rise. "Now I'm only going to ask you this question once...Where is Wendy?"

"Wendy?" Jellal repeated, his eyebrow quirking in confusion. "Who's that?" That was definitely the wrong response. In the blink of an eye Natsu shot forward and slammed Jellal to the ground by his throat.

"Don't you fucking play dumb with me!" Natsu roared, as his grip around Jellal's neck tightened. "Wendy Marvell, the sky dragon slayer! She has blue hair and big brown eyes! She's about two years younger than me! She was traveling with you, you bastard! You were helping her find her dragon! How could you forget her!?" Natsu snarled and slammed Jellal's head onto the floor. "Now where is she?! I swear to God if you just abandoned her somewhere, I'm going to maim you!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Jellal exclaimed, hitting Natsu with a burst of magic, sending the dragon slayer skidding several feet back. Rubbing his sore neck, Jellal slowly got back onto his feet. "I don't know who this Wendy Marvell is and I don't care. But if you mean to stand in my way, then I'll have to eliminate you."

"So you're gonna still play dumb, eh?" Natsu said now back on his feet, as intense blue flames exploded off his body. "Fine, then I'll just have to beat some sense into you!"

"Interesting." Jellal said with an amused look, beckoning Natsu with his hand. "Why don't you show me the power of a dragon slayer."

Natsu roared as he charged towards Jellal, scorching flames coating his fist. The dual dragon slayer's fist rocketed towards Jellal's face, but he managed to side step it. However, Jellal was caught off guard when Natsu's electrified foot slammed into his face. A small explosion of orange lighting caused Jellal to stumble backwards. Taking advantage of Jellal being stunned, Natsu sprinted forward and hit Jellal with a flaming punch to the stomach and jaw.

"**Fire Dragon's Purifying Claw**!" Springboaring off his hands, Natsu kicked Jellal into the air with feet coated in blue flames. "And..." Leaping into the air above Jellal, Natsu coated his fist in orange lightning. "**Lightning Dragon's Static Fist**!" Natsu's electrified fist slammed into the back of Jellal's head, sending him crashing into the ground. "I ain't finished with you yet!" Natsu's cheeks bulged as he fell towards the ground. "**Fire Dragon's Purifying Roar**!" A massive stream of blue flames exploded from Natsu's mouth, completely engulfing Jellal and melting the lacrima crystals around him. With a dull thud Natsu landed back onto his feet. A cloud of smoke and debris surrounded Jellal. "Did that knock some sense into you?"

"I must say those are some mighty flames..." Jellal's voice rang out from within the smoke. When the smoke cleared, Jellal was throwing away the tattered remains of his cloak. Although he had several burns and bruises, Jellal still looked rather unfazed by Natsu's attacks. "And that lightning is quite powerful as well. But if that it truly the extent of your power, then I must say I'm rather disappointed." Sighing is disappointment, Jellal began to dust himself off. "To think, before I killed you, I wanted to see the destructive power of a dragon slayer. But this level of magic wasn't all that impressive."

"First you kidnap my girl, using her old nakama as pawns. Then you send your goons to kill me and my friends..." Natsu said, orange lightning encasing his entire body. "Now you're insulting the magic that my father and big brother taught me? I'm going to make you regret saying that!" In an explosion of electricity, Natsu shot towards Jellal.

"You had the audacity to interrupt my ceremony." Jellal said, as his body began to slightly glow. "For that I'll crush you into dust with my **Heavenly Body **magic." With a powerful burst of magic, Jellal's body became cloaked in gold light. "**Meteor**!" In the blink of an eye Jellal had disappeared, using incredible speed to fly behind Natsu. Even with his enhanced senses, Natsu was barely able to track Jellal's movements. Quickly spinning around, Natsu raised his arms to block Jellal's attack, forming a wall of lightning in front of him. Jellal's attack still sent Natsu skidding back, but the blue-haired mage had taken some splash damage by attacking Natsu through his electric shield. However, Jellal didn't give Natsu a moment to rest. Jellal was moving so fast that he seemed to teleport. Having just barely recovered from the last attack, Natsu immidiately had to dodge a knee to his face, then duck underneath a right hook.

"Son of a bitch!" Natsu roared, swinging at Jellal with a fist coated in blue flames. But Jellal had vanished before Natsu's attack could hit. "Damn it! He's so fast! My eyes are only holding me back here." Closing his eyes, Natsu focused on enhancing his other senses even further. _"Smell...sound...touch...I gotta use them to predict his movements...now focus!" _Emptying his mind, Natsu focused his senses on locating Jellal. After a few moments Natsu picked up his scent. "There!" Wiping around, Natsu smirked when he came face-to-face with a shocked Jellal. The dual dragon slayer's flame coated fist rocketed forward. However, Jellal managed to most of the attack, with Natsu's fist grazing his fist. "What the hell?! He's even faster now!" Natsu grunted in pain when he was suddenly hit by several attacks almost simultaneously.

"I won't let you lay a finger on me again." Jellal said, as he brutally kicked Natsu in the stomach, causing the dragon slayer to cough up some blood. "It's over now." With a triumphant look, Jellal flew into the air above Natsu. "Time for you to witness, real destructive power." While in the air, Jellal placed both arms on top of each other, with the top hand having only the index and middle fingers spread out. Seven magic seals were summoned in front of him and connect, creating a constellation of sorts. "**Grand Chariot**!" Each magic seal then released a powerful light blast down onto Natsu, forming the same pattern on the ground before exploding. When the lights from the explosion died down, Natsu was face down on the ground, not moving.

"N-Natsu!" Erza exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. "Get up please! You promised me that you'd win!"

"That spell I used was comparable to an actual meteor." Jellal said, as he stared at Natsu's motionless form. "I must say that I'm impressed your body is still in one piece." With a slight chuckle, Jellal glanced at the destruction his spell had caused. "On the other hand, it seems like I may have gone too far this time. Any further damage to the **R-System **would be troublesome. It seems like the magic is already starting to leak out." With a twisted smile, Jellal turned to face Erza. "We'll have to hurry. Right, Erza?"

However, before Jellal could walk towards Erza, he felt something very hot graze his cheek. Jellal touched a hand to his cheek and was shocked to see blood on his fingers. Turning around, Jellal saw that Natsu was back onto his feet, although very battered and exhausted. The dual dragon slayer had a flaming piece of lacrima crystal in his hand. Natsu cocked his arm back and hurled the flaming piece of crystal at Jellal, this time hitting him in the shoulder.

"Heheh, I-I hit you with my attack..." Natsu said with a pained grin, struggling to stay on his feet. "You said that last attack was like a meteor...well you're gonna have to hit me with a fucking planet to keep me down." Jellal growled as he balled his fists in anger. "Say Jellal, you're quite fond of this little tower, aren't you?" Natsu coated his fist in blue flames and slammed it into the ground, causing the crystal floor to shatter and melt. "This tower is just one giant crystal right? If I tear it down, it should lose its power. And that would just piss you off, wouldn't it? There's one thing that all Fairy Tail mages specialize in..." Natsu's body became engulfed in brilliant blue flames, melting the crystals at his feet. "And that's property damage!" With a toothy grin, Natsu wiped the blood from his lips, beckoning Jellal to attack this time. "I'm still rarin' to go Jellal. In fact I've never felt better."

"You little shit!" Jellal exclaimed in rage, as veins bulged on his forehead. "I'm going to finish you in an instant. You're going to regret getting back up. I'll send you straight to hell."

"That's where you're wrong." Natsu said, his grin widening. "I'm way too stubborn to stay down. So come get me if you can." Jellal snarled before unleashing a barrage of attacks using his **Heavenly Body **magic. Getting a second wind, Natsu managed to dodge or block all of Jellal's attacks. "Come on! This can't be all you've got!" Natsu's taunt earned him an especially powerful burst of magic from Jellal. The glowing ball of magic sent Natsu skidding back several feet, but he managed to deflect most of the damage with a shield made of lightning. "What's the matter Jellal? Are you holding back because you're afraid of wrecking your precious tower?" Sweat was pouring off Natsu's brow as he panted heavily. "Those puny attacks had no effect on me."

"Don't get cocky you bastard!" Jellal yelled, as he hit Natsu with another burst of magic, sending the dragon slayer tumbling back.

"Fine! You don't wanna take me seriously, then..." Natsu said mid-tumble, his cheeks bulging. "**Fire Dragon's Elegant Flame**!" Natsu slammed a massive ball of brilliant blue fire into the ground, creating a massive crater and melting anything in its vicinity.

"My tower...that I spent eight years making..." Jellal said, as his rage spiked considerably. "You..."

_"He's pushing himself too far..." _Erza thought, watching Natsu pant heavily and fight to stay on his feet. _"He won't be able to keep this up much longer." _

"Unforgivable!" Jellal roared, as he raised his hands into the air, causing a massive shockwave of magic. The blue-haired mage's body was engulfed by a blinding light. Both Natsu and Erza had to shield their eyes from the intense waves of pure magic and intense light.

"What the hell is this magic!?" Natsu said, feeling a shiver run down his spine. "It feels awful."

"The shadows are extending towards the light?" Erza muttered, as she suddenly realized what spell Jellal was planning on using. "This spell! It can't be!"

"Fall into endless darkness! Dragon slayer!" Jellal exclaimed, his magic flaring as he glared at Natsu. However, Jellal was quite surprised when Erza jumped to her feet and stood in front of Natsu. _"Looks like the binding spell wore off." _

"Are you going to kill me as well?" Erza asked, as she raised her arms to shield Natsu. "I thought Zeref's revival required a sacrificial body."

"That's true..." Jellal said, gazing at Erza with a dark look in his eyes. "The conditions roughly require a mage on par with one of the Ten Wizard Saints. But at this point it makes no difference with, or without you." Erza's eyes widened when she saw the magic Jellal had been gathering turn into a large ball of black energy. "The two of you are going to be obliterated!"

"Erza! Get out of the way!" Natsu exclaimed, as he reached out to the scarlet-haired knight. "You don't have to do this!"

"Don't worry Natsu..." Erza said with a small smile, not a hint of fear on her face. "You've always protected me in the past...this time I'll be your shield."

"NOOOO!" Natsu roared, feeling his heart thunder in his chest, almost as if it were about to burst out.

"**Heavenly Body: Altairis**!" With a twisted grin, Jellal hurled the condensed ball of dark magic at Erza and Natsu.

The dual dragon slayer watched in horror as the spell raced towards Erza, who was prepared to take the attack head on. For a few brief moments Natsu's heart stopped beating, closing his eyes as he screamed out Erza's name. Then the attack hit, creating a large explosion that shook the entire room. Once the room had stopped shaking, Natsu cracked an eye open, and was shocked to see that it was not Erza who had taken the hit. Instead Simon stood in front of both Natsu and Erza, his body smoking and covered in serious injuries.

"S-Simon..." Erza breathed out, watching the large man give a strangled breath before he collapsed onto the ground. Instantly Erza was by his side, as he kneeled down next to him. "Simon!"

"So that little worm was still crawling around here?" Jellal asked himself, as he looked at Simon in disgust.

"What are you doing here?!" Erza exclaimed, gently grabbing ahold of Simon's hand. "Why didn't you escape with everyone else?! Simon answer me!"

"Couldn't...let Natsu...have all the glory..." Simon said, as he forced a smile and gave a pained laugh. "I'm...just happy...that you're okay...I was...finally able...to help..."

"I get it! Just don't talk anymore!" Erza shouted, fighting back her tears. "Please just focus on getting out of here with us!"

"You...were always...so gentle...so kind..." Simon said, as tears streamed down his cheek.

"Simon..." Erza said quietly in a shaky voice, feeling the large man go limp in her arms. "Simon?"

_"I...loved you..." _Simon thought, as he began to close his eyes. But before his eyes fully shut, Simon cast one last glance at Natsu. _"I'll leave Erza in your hands Natsu...please take good care of her, she deeply cares about you." _Then with a smile on his face, Simon shut his eyes for the last time.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Erza let out a bloodcurdling scream, crying onto Simon's chest.

"Pathetic! Jellal exclaimed, before he burst out laughing. "How utterly foolish!"

"You...it was you..." Natsu muttered, as he watched Erza continue to cry. It was a sound he had wished to never hear again."I promised...I promised that Erza would never cry like this ever again..." The dual dragon slayer's entire body began to shake with rage, as he balled his fists so tightly that blood dripped from his palms. "It's your fault...It's all your fault..."

"Now that's what they call dying in vain! Simon!" Jellal taunted, as he continued to laugh hysterically. "The situation hasn't changed at all! No one will leave this tower alive!"

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Natsu roared, hitting Jellal in the face with an incredibly powerful punch. The dual dragon slayer's attack sent Jellal flying across the room. "You!" Natsu slammed his flaming fist into the floor, and yanked out a chunk of the **Etherion **charged lacrima crystals. "You and this stupid fucking tower are reasons Erza used to cry at night!" Then to both Erza and Jellal's shock, Natsu took a huge bite out of the crystal. Almost immediately the dual dragon slayer let out a might roar, as the **Etherion** filled his body.

_"This guy...ate **Etherion**!?" _Jellal thought, as he stared at Natsu in stunned silence.

Letting out another roar, Natsu slammed his fists into the ground, creating a shockwave the destroyed the ground around him. But Natsu suddenly began to cough and sputter, **Etherion** leaking from his mouth. Natsu gripped his throat in pain, as he fell to his knees, all the veins on his body bulging.

"What does he think he's doing?!" Erza exclaimed in a worried tone, as she watched Natsu scream in pain. "**Etherion** is composed of many different magical elements, not just fire and lightning!"

_"He's being killed by his own stupidity." _Jellal thought with an evil smirk. _"It's only a matter of time before he dies now." _

Suddenly Natsu roared again, and his magical power seemed to spike through the roof. Erza and Jellal watched stunned, as a dragon made of blue flames and orange lightning encased Natsu's body. As the flaming dragon disappeared, Natsu leveled a ferocious glare on Jellal, scales seeming to cover his face and arms.

_"He...he did it..." _Erza thought, watching as Natsu became engulfed in a flurry of fire and lightning. _"He's fusing his magic together." _

_"He...actually absorbed **Etherion**!?" _Jellal thought, as he began to panic.

"It's all because of you!" Natsu roared, slamming into Jellal with a electrified flaming knee to the chin. The dual dragon slayer then grabbed Jellal by the throat and smashed him through several of the tower's floors. "You're the son of bitch that made Erza cry!" Jellal grunted in pain, as he crashed through floor after floor. "I made a promise!" The hand gripping Jellal's throat suddenly became cloaked in flames and lightning. "I promised that Erza would never have to cry like that again!"

"Oh shut the hell up!" Jellal exclaimed, as his body was coated in a golden light. "**Meteor**!" Using his spell, Jellal flew up into the air far above Natsu. "Don't think you can ever match my speed!"

"Don't underestimate..." Natsu yelled, using a falling piece of debris to spring back up to Jellal with incredible speed. The dual dragon slayer's fist slammed into Jellal's stomach, knocking all the air out of his lungs. "A dragon!"

Erza watched in awe of Natsu's new found power. _"He's incredible...the most incredible man I've ever met." _

"Impossible!" Jellal exclaimed, as he pushed himself away from Natsu. "I cannot be defeated! I will create a land of freedom!" Using his enhanced speed, Jellal leaped up high above the tower. "Zeref called to me softly through all the pain and fear. He asked me if I wanted freedom! That's right...I'm the only one who can sense Zeref's presence!" A crazed looked spread across Jellal's face. "I am the chosen one! Together with Zeref, I will create a nation of true freedom!"

"Like hell you can do that by stealing other people's freedom!" Natsu yelled, scrambling up to where Jellal was.

"The will to change the world - that alone is enough to turn the wheels of history!" Jellal shouted, as he began to make rapid gestures with his fingers, their tips glowing with magic. "Why can you fools not understand that?!" Moments later a large magical circle appeared in the air above Jellal.

Erza's eyes hot open when she realized what spell Jellal was casting. "**Abyss Break**?! You'll take down the whole tower with that!"

"Just give me another eight years..." Jellal said with a twisted smile. "No, this time I'll complete it in five years...Zeref...please just wait a little longer..." However, before Jellal could cast the spell, a sudden splitting pain from his stomach caused him to falter. It was the wound Erza had given him earlier, when she slashed his stomach.

"You're never gonna find freedom!" Natsu roared, flying towards Jellal in a cloak of blue fire and orange lighting shaped like a dragon. "There's no freedom for those held down by phantoms!" Natsu cocked his fist back. "Remember who you are Jellal!" Natsu's fist became coated in orange lighting. "**Lightning...**" Then the lightning became infused with blue flames. "**Flame...**" Natsu's explosive attack hit Jellal in the stomach, and sent him hurdling through the entire tower. "**Dragon's Demolition Fist**!" **(A/N This is sort of a precursor to Natsu's Demolition Fist that appears later in the manga) **

With crash, Natsu landed back in front of Erza, smoke and falling debris surrounding him, as he stood back onto his feet. _"So this is Natsu's true power...the power of a dragon slayer." _Erza felt her whole body start to go numb, as Natsu's powerful magic washed over her. _"I've seen anything like it." _A smile spread across both Natsu and Erza's faces as they locked eyes. _"He actually beat Jellal...he kept his promise. My battle spanning eight long years is finally over. At last...everyone can have true freedom." _Erza was shaken from her thought when she saw Natsu begin to collapse. "Natsu!" Diving forward, Erza caught Natsu and hugged his head against her chest. "You are absolutely incredible Natsu. You truly are." But Erza's moment with Natsu was cut short when the tower began to collapse around her.

* * *

(Same Time: With Ultear)

"That was truly incredible." Ultear said, as she licked her lips. "That display of power was far beyond my expectations." Ultear smirked as she put her crystal orb away. "You never seem to disappoint me Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

**And done! There's one more quick update chapter coming, and it will pick up immediately after this one. Next chapter will finish off the Tower of Heaven arc for good, and will hopefully have the NatZa lemon, which I know a lot of you have been looking forward to. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK), and PM me any ideas you have for any of my fics. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	29. Chapter 29 Erza's Decision

**Hey guys! I'm back with the final quick update chapter for now. This chapter will wrap up the Tower of Heaven arc and will have the NatZa lemon in it. After this chapter we'll finally be able to start the Battle for Fairy Tail arc, where we'll have Natsu's fight against Laxus and Mira joining Natsu's harem. Thank you all for your support the past two chapters, because this fic has now passed 700 reviews, which is totally awesome! Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the chapter.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.**

* * *

(Waters Outside the Tower of Heaven: With Lucy and the Others)

"The tower!" Wally exclaimed, as the crystal tower began fall apart and glow brightly. "What's going on?!"

"Don't tell me **Etherion's **power is going wild!?" Gray said, large waves beginning to crash over the sphere of water Juvia had created.

"What do you mean going wild?!" Lucy yelled in a panic, as she spun around to face Gray, fear flashing through her eyes. "Are Natsu and Erza going to be okay!?"

"Having all that magical energy stored in one place..." Happy muttered, staring up at the shining tower. "It's so unpredictable...who knows what it'll do."

"And now all that magical power has nowhere to go." Juvia said, as she clutched a hand over her heart, her entire body shaking. "It's likely going to erupt into a gigantic explosion."

"What about nee-san and the others inside!" Shô exclaimed, frantically pointing at the tower behind him. "Do they have any chance of making it?!"

"There's no point in talking about the survival of others...because every single one of us..." Gray said, as he grit his teeth in frustration. "Is doomed."

* * *

(Back Inside the Tower of Heaven: With Erza and Natsu)

"Simon..." Erza said quietly, hoisting Natsu onto her back and sparing one last glance at her old nakama. Simon's body lay several feet away, slowly sliding into the collapsing floor. Fighting back tears, Erza tore her gaze away from Simon and focused on trying to find a way out of the tower. As Erza ran through the collapsing tower, dodging falling debris, plumes of volatile magic would burst out of the cracks in crystals. Ducking underneath a stream of magic, the ground beneath Erza started to collapse, causing her to lose her footing and fall to the ground.

_"The power...it's actually destroying the very lacrima containing it..." _Erza thought, as he stared at the collapsing tower around her. _"Its destructive power is far greater than I could have possibly imagined...even if we somehow get out of this tower, we'll still be caught up in the explosion." _Growling in anger, Erza punched the crystal floor. "Damn it all! Is this really how this is going to end?!" Erza turned her head to look at Natsu, who was still unconscious. "And after Natsu went through all that trouble to save me..." As Erza stared at Natsu's defenseless form, she became even more determined to keep him safe. Tightly balling her fists, Erza got back onto her feet. _"No...I refuse to give up...it's my turn to save you now, Natsu..." _Erza scanned her surroundings, as the tower continued to fall apart, and streams of powerful magic exploded from the floor all around her. _"But we can't run from this...can't defend against it, even if we work together. What can I do?!" _Just then Erza remembered something Jellal had said earlier. _"He said I could fuse with the lacrima, didn't he?" _Erza stared at crystal before her, then back at Natsu. _"If I were to be fused with **Etherion**...I could possibly control this magic and prevent the explosion!"_

Erza reached out her hand to touch the lacrima, but stopped just as her finger tips grazed it's surface, she once again turned to look at Natsu. Erza suddenly lowered her head, as her filled with sadness. _"If I do this...I won't be able to see him __anymore...I won't be able to tell him my decision...I won't be able to spend the rest of my life with him...but..." _Erza then pictured Lucy and Mira standing by Natsu's side. _"I can't bear the thought of hurting my nakama, because I had put my own feelings above their's." _A sad smile spread across Erza's face, as she kneeled down and gently stroked Natsu's cheek. _"I'm sorry Natsu...I'm sorry I won't be able to stand by your side anymore..." _Tears began to fall from Erza's left eye. _"But know that I'll always love you Natsu...I've been in love with you ever since we were kids..." _Erza stopped stroked Natsu's cheek and stood back up, pressing her hand against the lacrima. _"I know it's going to hurt Natsu...I know you're going to feel pain like you've never felt before...but you're stronger, both physically and emotionally, then anyone else I know...you'll also have Lucy and Mira by your side to comfort you...It'll be hard Natsu, but I know you'll pull through." _Erza hissed in pain as her hand began to sink into the lacrima. _"I'm sorry Natsu...but this is the only chance we have left!" _The scarlet-haired knight grunted in pain when the lacrima began to pull her in. However, as Erza let the lacrima drag her in, she didn't notice that Natsu was starting to regain consciousness. _"Good! The lacrima is still ready to accept me!" __  
_

"Erza..." The scarlet-haired knight's eyes widened when she heard Natsu's worried voice. She turned around to see Natsu staring at her, his eyes open in shock. "Wh-What...are you doing? Why...Why are you sticking...your body in that crystal?"

"This is the only way of stopping **Etherion**." Erza said with a sad smile, as she avoided looking Natsu in the eyes, because she knew if she did, she would break down and not be able to finish what she was attempting to do.

"Stopping...**Etherion**." Natsu repeated, struggling to get back onto his knees.

"The **Etherion** energy stored within this tower has gotten out of control...it's about to cause a massive explosion." Erza explained, as she felt her entire arm sink into the lacrima. "But if I can fuse with **Etherion**, and seize control of that power-"

"You idiot! If you do that you'll-" Natsu was cut off when Erza screamed out in pain, as most of the right side of her body was pulled into the lacrima. "ERZA!" Natsu scrambled to his feet, but his weary legs soon gave out, causing him to fall onto his stomach. "Erza please!"

"You don't have to worry about anything..." Erza said, grunting as most of her body was sucked into the lacrima. "I'l stop this for sure..."

"Stop this, Erza!" Natsu exclaimed, as he frantically crawled over to the lacrima Erza was in. "Stop it now!"

"Natsu..." Erza said sweetly, reaching out and cupping the dragon slayer's cheek. "I can't live without you, or Fairy Tail. I can't imagine a world with either of them. That's just how much..." Erza smiled softly as she lovingly stroked Natsu's cheek. "all of you mean to me..." A single tear rolled down Erza's cheek, as she moved her hand from Natsu's cheek. "Especially you Natsu...you mean more to me than anyone else in the world...and I love you...I was a fool for not telling you sooner...for not realizing that the perfect man was right in front of me, while I still secretly fawned over a man who had betrayed me..."

"Erza...please..." Natsu choked out, as tears freely fell from his eyes. He could feel his his heart breaking into pieces. "Don't leave me..."

"Natsu..." The dual dragon slayer looked up, with tears streaming down his cheeks, to see Erza smiling at him. "If doing this even has a small chance of saving you all...then I have no regrets. This one body...they can take it!" With this final exclamation, Erza's whole body drifted into the lacrima crystal, slowly floating farther away from Natsu.

"ERZA!" Natsu roared, as he frantically pounded on the lacrima. "GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE, ERZA!"

_"Natsu..." _Erza thought, casting one last glance at the man she loved, before she would never see him again. Her heart ached when she saw the devastation on Natsu's face, but she had to finish what she started, to save everyone she held dear. _"I'll leave the others to you...please keep Lucy and Mira safe. Remember, I'll forever be inside your heart, Natsu...watching over you." _

"ERZAAAAAAAA!" Natsu screamed in anguish, as streams of **Etherion** erupted all around him, causing the entire tower to shake. The dual dragon slayer felt a hole forming in his heart, watching as Erza's form engulfed by the incredible amount magical power.

_"You must save her!" _

_"You cannot let her perish!" _

_"Rescue her now!"_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Natsu roared, an amazing amount of scorching blue fire exploding off his body, instantly melting anything they touched. Unleashing a ferocious growl, Natsu slammed his flaming fist into the lacrima, disintegrating everything around it. "NOT AGAIN! I WILL NOT LOSE SOMEONE CLOSE TO ME EVER AGAIN!" Completely ignoring the chaos that was happening around him, Natsu used brute force to push his way further into the lacrima. If anyone was watching, they would be stunned to see that blue Natsu's flames were actually burning away the erupting **Etherion** surrounding him. "ERZA! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DIE HERE! YOU'RE COMING BACK TO FAIRY TAIL WITH ME! I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO FIGHT GOD HIMSELF TO BRING YOU BACK!"

* * *

(Same Time: Just Outside the Tower of Heaven)

"I-It's h-happening!" Wally exclaimed in terror, as the Tower of Heaven began to glow brightly, massive waves being created by the sheer amount of magic that was being released. Milliana had tightly clutched Wally, as she cried into his shoulder. "We're so screwed!"

"Hold on a second!" Gray yelled, pointing to a tower of **Etherion** that was shooting out of the tower, into the sky. "Something isn't right! It's going back up into the sky! Not exploding!"

"Gray-sama...look at that as well..." Juvia said with wide eyes, as she frantically gestured to the top of the tower. Gray turned his attention from the stream of **Etherion** and saw that the entire top portion of the tower appeared to be on fire.

"What...the..." Gray muttered in shock, watching as brilliant blue flames ate away at the crystal tower, melting the crystals. "That...can't be Natsu...can it?"

"Natsu..." Lucy said underneath her breath, as she clutched both hands over her thundering heart, tears falling from her eyes. "Please...please come be safe...and bring Erza back home..."

_"He'll be okay..." _Juvia thought, her ocean blue eyes fixated on the burning tower. _"Natsu will come back to us...Juvia knows he will...he has to." _

Just then the tower began to glow twice as bright, forcing everyone to shield their eyes from the blinding light. Following the intense light was a massive shockwave that kicked up colossal waves, and sent Juvia's sphere of water flying back. Juvia grunted in exertion, as she struggled to keep the water sphere from breaking, wave after wave crashing into it. After several minutes the blinding glow died down and the large waves stopped. When everyone looked to where the Tower of Heaven had been, they were all shocked to see that the tower was no longer there.

"It...It's gone..." Lucy whispered, as she began to fear the worst. She could still faintly feel her connection to Natsu through her mate mark, but it didn't stop her from worrying. "Like...it vanished into...thin air."

"Is...it actually over?" Gray asked, staring at the empty space where the Tower of Heaven used to be.

* * *

(Seven Years Earlier: Forest Outside Magnolia)

"Hmm, that's quite the nasty wound you have there..." Porlyusica said, as she leaned in closer to investigate Erza's severely damaged right eye. Behind Erza stood Fairy Tail's master, Makarov Dreyar and Natsu Dragneel. Erza and Natsu had joined Fairy Tail two weeks earlier, and after quickly forming a team, both mages had already gone on several easy jobs. However, they quickly learned that Erza's impaired eyesight made it difficult for her to help on certain missions. So Erza eventually asked Makarov if he knew of any way to heal her right eye. The elderly master didn't personally know of any way to help her, but he did offer to take her to Porlyusica, Fairy Tail's personal physician. Erza had jumped at the chance to have her eyesight fully restored. She had asked Natsu to tag along, because ever since they had started sharing a room, she felt quite odd when the dragon slayer wasn't around. Natsu was also Erza's closest friend in Fairy Tail, and she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. As Porlyusica continued to inspect Erza's eye, Natsu tried his best not to stare at what was happening. He knew that Erza's eye was a very touchy subject and he didn't want to upset her in any way. "It won't be an easy job, getting you to see out that eye again..."

"Oh, don't be like that, Porlyusica." Makarov complained, glancing at Erza as she silently put her white eyepatch back into place. "This little lass has such a beautiful face, it would be a shame to leave it like this."

"You come with me." Porlyusica hissed, as she dragged Makarov away from the two children by his ear. When Porlyusica was sure they were out of earshot, she released Makarov's ear and got right in his face, a dark look in her eyes. "I hope you plan on keeping your hands off that girl when she grows up..." Porlyusica gazed past, the now quite frightened, Makarov at Erza. The scarlet-haired girl had a small smile on her face, as she listened to Natsu energetically tell a story, waving his arms and occasionally blowing out puffs of fire or lightning. "Besides, it looks like she's already quite fond of that young lad."

"O-Of course...I understand..." Makarov said, laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "I would never do anything like that..." Makarov immidiately shrunk back when Porlyusica gave him a knowing look. "Okay...I promise I won't do anything."

"Good..." Porlyusica said, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "So, where'd those two come from?"

"Well the girl told me she apparently owes a debt to old Rob." Makarov replied, causing Porlyusica's eyes to widen considerably. "The boy on the other hand...I don't really know. All he's told me so far, is that he's looking for his father and older brother."

"Wait! So that girl knows Rob?!" Porlyusica exclaimed softly, as she leaned closer to Makarov. "Where is he then!?"

"Dead, according to her." Makarov said in saddened tone, Porlyusica releasing a heavy sigh.

"Is see...that's a shame then. He was a good man." Porlyusica said, as she rubbed her chin. "You said the boy is looking for his father and older brother? Shouldn't he have asked the police, or even the army to help him?"

"Normally you'd be correct, but..." Makarov said, glancing at Natsu out of the corner of his eye. "According to him...his father and older brother are dragons."

"Dragons you say..." Porlyusica muttered, as she stared at Natsu with a curious look in her eyes. "Quite the unique batch of youngsters you have Makarov..." Makarov couldn't help but laugh at the little remark. "Well anyways, I think I have a way to fix that girl's eye. Go fetch her and bring her into my home, I'll start getting things ready."

Several hours later, Porlyusica had apparently finished fixing Erza's eye. Makarov was forced to leave earlier because of urgent guild business, but Natsu had stayed behind to keep Erza company. The dual dragon slayer sat in a chair a few feet away from Erza, as Porlyusica carefully unwrapped the bandages that had been covering Erza's face. Erza's back was facing Natsu, so he couldn't immidiately tell if the operation was successful or not.

"How's it look?" Porlyusica asked, handing Erza a hand mirror. The scarlet-haired girl slowly took the mirror and inspected herself. She began to shake slightly when she saw that her right eye was fully restored.

"It's...all healed..." Erza said with a bright smile, as she blinked her right eye several times. "It's like it was never damaged in the first place."

"So, I take it you can see alright?" Porlyusica said, earning a quick nod from Erza. "Then you better get out of here quick. I can't stand humans being in my home."

"I can't believe it's healed..." Erza said, as she began to cry.

"Let me see Erza!" Natsu exclaimed, leaping off his chair and running in front of Erza. When Natsu saw Erza's face, he was overjoyed to see that everything appeared to be fine. However, Natsu quickly noticed that something wasn't right. "Hey Erza..." The dual dragon slayer reached over and wiped the tears from Erza's cheek. "Why are you only crying from one eye?" This immediately caught both Erza and Porlyusica's attention. Instantly Porlyusica was in front of Erza, and was shocked to see that she was indeed only producing tears from one eye.

"Wait...that eye...that's quite strange..." Porlyusica said, as she began to quickly flip through the book she had used to help heal Erza's eye. "Why are you only crying from one eye? That can't be right...I'm positive I mixed all of the ingredients perfectly..."

"That's okay..." Erza said with a smile, surprising Porlyusica. "I've already shed half my tears anyways."

_"Erza..." _Natsu thought, as he stared at the girl with sad eyes. _"How much pain have you endured?" _

* * *

(Seven Years Later: Unknown Location)

With a sharp intake of air, Erza's eyes snapped open. She glanced around, and found herself seemingly floating in an empty golden void. _"Where am I?!" _Looking down, Erza was quite surprised to see that she was wearing a flowing, white dress. _"Am I inside **Etherion**!? No...this feels much warmer..." _Suddenly the void below Erza began to change. When Erza looked down she spotted a large group of people standing in the rain, as they gathered around a large stone monument. Upon closer inspection, saw that the monument actually stood before a grave...a grave with her name written on it. _"I see now..." _Erza gazed at the crowd and saw that it was filled with most of her nakama. _"So...I really am dead..." _Erza felt a pang of regret, seeing the saddened looks and tears of her nakama. The scarlet-haired knight watched as Makarov slowly made his way towards the front of the crowd.

"She...Erza Scarlet..." Makarov tried his best to find the right words, his shoulders sagging in sadness. "Was loved by God, and she loved God...and she loved all of us, her precious nakama...her heart was far bigger than the endless sky...and her sword glowed brightly for those that she loved. Her figure, dancing like a graceful fairy, was more beautiful than any vista nature could offer." Makarov tightly balled his fists and his shoulders began to shake. "Loves makes people strong. And love can make us weak too. I..." Makarov had to stop briefly to choke back a sob and fight his tears. "I...I loved her like my own daughter...I pray...that her soul may rest in peace..." No longer able to hold back his tears, Makarov hid his face in his palm. As the crowd let Makarov's words sink in, another group of cloaked figures made their way towards Erza's grave. The insignia on the group's backs showed that they were members of the magical council.

"The council has voted unanimously: one of the two newly opened seat..." Gran Doma said, as he kneeled in front of Erza's grave to say a quick prayer, the other council members following his lead. "Shall forever be granted to this woman. Erza Scarlet will forever be counted amongst the Ten Wizard Saints." Rising back onto his feet, Grand Doma placed a comforting hand on Makarov's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss Makarov...she was truly an exceptional mage...and an even greater person." Makarov said nothing in reply, as the council members all turned to leave.

"Gray..." Erza's attention was now draw to Cana, who was standing next to the ice mage. "Have you heard anything about Natsu?" The scarlet-haired knight's eyes widened at the mention of Natsu's name. Now that Erza looked closely, she did notice that Natsu was noticeably absent, along with Lucy and Mirajane. "Nobody's seen him in almost three weeks."

"No...I haven't heard a thing..." Gray replied in a sad tone, shaking his head. "Lucy and Mira haven't been able to help him very much. He barely eats or drinks anything, and he never seems to leave his house. He's been cooped up in there ever since we got back...and the only people that have seen him are Lucy and Mira...they're the only ones he'll let in his home." Gray sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Flame brain...is taking this harder then anyone else...it's almost like a piece of him died with Erza."

Suddenly the scene shifted, and Erza was floating inside Natsu's home. Erza immediately noticed that there was absolutely no light in the small house and that it was even messier than usual. Spinning around to gaze around the house, Erza gasped in horror when she saw the couch. Sitting only a few feet away from her was Natsu, with Lucy and Mira sitting on either side of him. Both girls were resting their heads on Natsu's shoulders, their cheeks tear stained, as they held his hands. But what shocked Erza the most was Natsu's appearance. The dual dragon slayer looked almost emaciated, his eyes sunken and rib cage clearly visible. But what horrified Erza the most were Natsu's eyes. Natsu's normally bright and joy filled eyes were now completely dead, devoid of any sign of emotion. The pink-haired dragon slayer stared at the wall ahead of him, but it was as if he was staring at nothing at all. He made no sounds and didn't move at all, just continuing to stare straight ahead as if he were in a trace. It was just like Gray had said, it was almost as if a piece of Natsu had withered away and died.

_"Natsu..." _Erza thought, as she cupped both hands over her mouth, tears streaming from her left eye. _"This is far worse...than I could have ever possibly imagine...I...did this for you...for the sake of everyone's futures...and yet...this is the future I gave you...a future filled with tears and anguish...please stop mourning me...I didn't want to see a future like this...I did it...to see you all smile...stop this, please...this isn't...what I wanted..." _Suddenly Erza felt herself surrounded by comforting warmth, and the golden void around her began to fade away.

With a start Erza's eyes snapped open. Instead of endless golden nothingness, Erza was staring up at the starry night sky, feeling a cool evening breeze blow through her hair, the sounds of gentle waves surrounding her.

"Where...where am I?" Erza asked herself, as she began to hear the sound of numerous people running through the water.

"ERZA!" Turning her head, Erza was shocked to see all her nakama running towards her, with Lucy leading the group.

"ERZA YOU'RE OKAY!" Lucy exclaimed with tears in her eyes, as she tightly wrapped her arms around the scarlet-haired knight. "Thank God...Thank God you're okay! I was so worried!"

"Jeez, don't make us worried like that damn it!" Gray scolded in mock anger, furiously wiping away his own tears.

"Juvia is glad that Erza-san is safe." Juvia said with a small smile. "Juvia was quite worried about you as well."

"What's...going on?" Erza muttered, raising her arms so that she could look at her hands. "Am I...alive? I..." It was then that Erza finally realized that she was being carried. Turning her head, Erza's eyes slowly widened when she that it was Natsu who was carrying her. Natsu had a stern look on his face, his body was covered in dozens of injuries. "N-Natsu...did...did yo...? But...how...?" Tears began to fall from Erza's left eye, as she gazed up in awe at the man she loved, who had apparently once again saved her life. _"You...You actually found me in that massive vortex of magic? You're truly incredible Natsu..." _Erza gasped lightly when Natsu's legs suddenly gave out, and he was forced to kneel in the water.

"We're the same..." Natsu said, as he entire body began to shake. Erza was confused for a moment, but then she remembered what she had said before she tried to fuze with the lacrima. "We're all the same..." Natsu hung his head, and Erza could see that he was crying. "Don't...Don't you ever do something so fucking stupid ever again..." Natsu's voice was barely above a whisper, and he was constantly sniffling to fight back his sobs. "I don't give a shit what's going on...don't ever scare me like that again..."

"Natsu-"

"NEVER!" Natsu roared, unable to hold back his sobs anymore. "*Sniffle* I...I was so scared...that I'd lose you Erza..."

"Okay...I promise." Erza said with a small smile, gently pressing her forehead against Natsu's. "Thank you...Natsu." Erza reached up and wiped the tears from Natsu's eyes, stroking his cheek as well. "Natsu...I have something very important to tell you."

"What...What is it?" Natsu asked, as he locked eyes with Erza.

"I've made my decision." Erza said, cupping Natsu's face with both hands. "And I choose you." Without any hesitation, Erza lunged forward and captured Natsu's lips in a passionate kiss. Natsu was so stunned that he didn't react for a few moments, but when he came back to his senses, he returned the kiss with all the love that had been pent up over the years. Natsu's fingers tangled in Erza's long scarlet locks, as he pulled her even closer to deepen the kiss. For the first time in seven years, tears fell from Erza's right eye, tears of joy. _"That's right...I don't have to die for my nakama's sake...I have to live for their sake..." _The kiss was everything Erza had dreamed it would and so much more. The way Natsu kissed her was fiery, yet gentle at the same time, and his lips seemed to tingle ever so slightly, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. Erza let out a small moan when Natsu snaked his tongue into her mouth, his more experienced tongue easily overpowering her own.

"About damn time." Gray said with a smirk, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"N-Nee-san..." Shô muttered, a fierce blush spreading across his face. "I didn't know you had a side like this..."

"Don't look Milliana." Wally said, as he covered the cat-girl's eyes. "This isn't something you should see."

"Aw! I wanna see!" Milliana whined, trying her best to catch a peek of Erza and Natsu's liplock.

_"So...So intense..." _Juvia thought with a glowing blush, as she clutched a hand over her heart. She couldn't help but cast a disappointed look at Gray. _"Juvia wishes Gray-sama would do something like that to her...But Juvia wouldn't mind if Natsu did it either...KYA!" _Juvia's face felt so hot that she thought steam would start blowing out her ears, as she hid her face behind her hat. _"Juvia must not think such indecent thoughts!" _

"I'm so happy for you two." Lucy said with a bright smile, clapping her hands together. "Now we can all be happy together."

When both mages broke their liplock, Erza once again lovingly pressed her forehead against Natsu's. "I love you Natsu Dragneel, you're the only man in my heart now."

"And I love you Erza Scarlet." Natsu said with a toothy grin, before he gave Erza quick peck on the lips. "You may not be the only girl in my heart..." Natsu cast quick glances at Lucy and Juvia. "But I promise that I'll give you all the love and attention you could ever desire."

"That's all I ask for." Erza said with a smile of her own, pulling Natsu in for a tight hug.

"Alright love birds, we should probably get back to the resort." Gray suggested, as he helped both Natsu and Erza onto their feet. "You two are really banged up, and we need to get those wounds treated."

* * *

(Two Days Later: Akane Resort)

"Is he really okay?" Gray asked, quirking an eyebrow as he watched Natsu snore loudly on his bed. The dual dragon slayer was covered from head to toe in bandages. "I mean the bastard has been sleeping for almost two days straight."

"Oh just let him get his rest, Gray." Lucy said, as she ran her fingers through Natsu's hair. The blonde celestial spirit mage smiled down at Natsu, his head resting in her lap. "He's been through a lot and he was pretty banged up."

"Yeah Gray, he needs his rest to help him recover." Erza said, walking up to the bed and sitting down next to Lucy. The scarlet-haired knight made a quick gesture, taking the hint Lucy gently removed Natsu's head from her lap and allowed Erza to take her place. Lucy would have loved to stay in the same position all day, but with what had happened a few days earlier, she figured Erza deserved to spend as much time with Natsu as possible. Erza placed a gentle kiss on Natsu's forehead, before she started to rake her fingers through his hair. "Not that Natsu can really help it...but what he did was almost equivalent to eating poison...although he does appear to be recovering rather quickly. Most of his wounds are healed and his bandages can probably be removed later today."

"That's right..." Gray said, as he rested his head on his hand. "You said flame brain ate **Etherion**, right? Then was able to fuse his fire and lightning magic together. Man, he gets more and more like a monster every day?"

"Hush Gray." Erza scolded, slightly glaring at the ice mage, before she released a light sigh. "I've caused so much trouble for all of you guys...I really don't know what to say..."

"Relax Erza." Lucy said, as she placed her hand on top of Erza's. "You've been saying that constantly the past two days. No one blames you for what happened, and we were all happy to help. I'm just glad you and Natsu made it back okay."

"Thanks Lucy..." Erza said, smiling at the busty blonde. "I can understand why Natsu fell in love with you. You're such a kind person and you have a big heart."

"T-Thanks Erza..." Lucy muttered, as her face flushed red in embarassment. "But I'm not the only one Natsu loves."

"I know...it will be sort of...strange at first. But I'm sure we'll make it work somehow." Erza said, giving Lucy's hand a quick squeeze. "To be honest, I'm kind of excited to see where this relationship will go." Lucy smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "Hey...I just noticed something...where's Juvia?"

"Oh, she left already." Gray replied, as he scratched the back of his head. "She seemed a little disappointed that she didn't get to say goodbye to Natsu, but she wanted to join Fairy Tail as soon as possible. This morning she took off so that she could talk with jii-chan."

"I see...I wanted thank her personally for all of her help." Erza said, brushing a few scarlet locks out of her eyes.

"Say Erza..." Gray said, as he examined the various bandages on Erza's own body. "Shouldn't you be getting some rest too?"

"Ah, don't Gray. I didn't take enough damage to actually worry about. In fact..." Erza said, unwrapping the bandages around her arms. She smiled when she saw that the cuts on her arms were mostly healed already. "Most of my wounds are healed. Although to be fair, my body should have been broken down at the molecular level inside that **Etherion** vortex."

"Damn..." Gray muttered, as he sweatdropped. "Then I guess it really is a miracle you survived."

_"In truth I really don't know what happened in there..." _Erza thought, smiling down at the sleeping dragon slayer in her lap. _"But I do know that you did something truly amazing Natsu, and that you saved me. I'm still alive because of you."_

"Well, I guess that's just like you, Erza." Gray said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Not like this dumbass who goes around eating poison and almost dying."

"The hell did you say, Gray!?" Natsu roared, shooting up out of Erza's lap and glaring fiercely at the ice mage. "You wanna fucking go!?"

"I...uh..." Gray stuttered, caught off guard by Natsu's sudden exclamation. However, before Gray could think of a response, he felt something tug if his sleeve. Turning his head, Gray saw Lucy gesturing towards the door.

"Let's give them so alone time." Lucy whispered, leaning closer to Gray. "Why don't we get some lunch, I'll buy."

"Tch, fine." Gray said, as he stood up from his seat.

"Oh, running away are you!?" Natsu exclaimed, causing Gray to stop in his tracks. "I knew you were an ice queen, but I didn't know you were a chicken too!" Gray balled his fists and the temperature in the room seemed to drop considerably.

"Hush now Natsu." Erza scolded, as she lightly slapped the dragon slayer's shoulder. "It's too early in the morning to fight, and we don't need you getting any more injuries. Now apologize to Gray." Natsu huffed and turned his head indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Natsu..." Erza's tone was serious and caused the dragon slayer's tough facade to crack. "Apologize. Now."

"I'm sorry Gray." Natsu muttered, turning to face the ice mage.

"You could have done better, but it will have to do." Erza said, as she released a light sigh.

"Now come on Gray." Lucy said, as she practically dragged the ice mage out of the room. However, Lucy stopped in the doorway and gave Erza quick thumbs up and a wink.

Erza blushed hotly as she realized that she was now completely alone with Natsu. The dragon slayer had moved from his spot, and now sat on the edge of the bed. Deciding to make her move, Erza sat down next to Natsu. Erza placed her hand on top of Natsu's, interlocking their fingers. The scarlet-haired knight scooted closer to the dragon slayer, pressing her hip against his. They both stayed like this for several minutes, simply enjoying each other's company. Natsu began to blush as he inhaled Erza's sweet scent, which to no surprise was mainly strawberry with a hint of vanilla. In all the years Natsu had known Erza, they had never been this close before. Sure they had hugged plenty of times, even held hands a few times. But nothing had been as intimate as this. The pink-haired dragon slayer could feel all his pent up emotions starting to bubble to the surface. As Erza sat next to Natsu, she could feel her nervousness slowly rising. She had decided now was the perfect time to try and be intimate with Natsu, but she had no idea what to do. Sure, she's read dozens of erotic books before, but they didn't help her work up the courage to actually initiate things. As the minutes continued to tic by, Erza could feel the tension in the room steadily rising, the situation starting to feel awkward. Natsu could sense that Erza was starting to feel uneasy, so he decided that he needed to lead things.

Erza was just about to bail on her plan and try again another time, but she was stopped when Natsu tightly squeezed her hand. Turning to face the dragon slayer, Erza locked eyes with Natsu. Then without warning Natsu lunged forward and captured Erza's lips in a fiery kiss. Natsu gently pushed Erza onto her back and straddled her, keeping their lips locked the entire time. Erza was caught off guard by Natsu's sudden aggressiveness, but she quickly recovered and was doing her best to keep up with Natsu. Erza moaned softly as she combed her fingers through Natsu's hair, his tongue snaking into her mouth. Unlike with Lucy, Natsu had some experience now, so he decided to take charge and guide Erza. As Natsu continued to kiss Erza, he let his hands wander her beautiful body. Erza's body was quite similar to Lucy's in a lot of way, however Erza's arms and legs were much more muscular than the blonde's. Natsu's hands gently massaged Erza's sides, slowly making their way lower. Erza moaned into their kiss, Natsu's hands leaving tingling trails of fire everywhere they touched. Soon Natsu's hands reached Erza's plump butt, something he would always try to sneak peeks of. The pink-haired dragon slayer couldn't resist squeezing Erza's firm ass, his fingers sinking into her cheeks, causing the scarlet-haired knight to let out a drawn out moan.

"Natsu, your hands feel amazing." Erza said breathlessly, breaking their lengthy liplock. "Looks like your time with Lucy has really payed off...How many times have you done this with her anyways?"

"Umm..." Erza quirked an eyebrow, as she watched Natsu actually have to stop and think about her question. "...a lot." The scarlet-haired knight couldn't help but giggle at Natsu's response. "What can I say, I have a lot of stamina."

"Well I already knew you had tons of stamina..." Erza said with a smirk, running her hand down Natsu's cheek. "I'm glad that it's good for something other than fighting."

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this Erza?" Natsu asked, as he gazed into Erza's eyes. "I've waited years to do this with you...I don't mind waiting a little longer util you're ready."

"Natsu..." Erza said, cupping the pink-haired dragon slayer's cheeks. "I've been waiting a long time for this as well." The scarlet-haired knight pulled Natsu close and briefly kissed him. When they separated, Erza had a small smile on her face. "Now make love to me."

"I've been dying to hear those words." Natsu said with a smirk, as he threw off his shirt. Erza bit her bottom lip to suppress a moan when she saw Natsu's six pack abs and rock hard pecs. Not wanting to be left behind, Erza pulled of her blouse. She could have simply unequipped her clothing, but she figured it would be sexier to strip off her clothes piece by piece. Lifting her hips off the bed, Natsu helped Erza take off her skirt. Following Erza's lead, Natsu stripped off his baggy pants, both mages now down to their underwear. Natsu wore a simple pair of boxers, while Erza had on a matching set of lacy red lingerie. Natsu couldn't help but smirk when he saw the underwear. "You borrowed those from Lucy, didn't you?"

"Well...we're pretty much the same size...and I thought they were really cute..." Erza said quietly, her face bright red from being caught red-handed.

"I think they look amazing on you..." Natsu said, as he leaned closer to Erza, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. "But I think you'd look even better without them on."

Erza nodded her head and kneeled on the bed, reaching to unhook her bra. The scarlet-haired knight's face was the same color has her hair, as she slowly removed the bra. Now on the battlefield Erza was as confident and determined as one could be, but in the bedroom she couldn't help but feel embarrassed as the bra's straps slide down her arms. Despite having read dozens of erotic novels, Erza couldn't get through one without blushing like a schoolgirl. Erza hesitated, holding her bra in place with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Erza...you don't have to be embarrassed." Natsu said in soothing voice, as he placed a comforting hand on Erza's thigh. "I think you're one of the most beautiful women in the entire world and I will always love you. So you don't have to worry about anything, it's only you and me here."

Natsu's words had the desired effect, as Erza started to feel more relaxed. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Erza lowered her arms, letting her bra slide off. Just like with Lucy, Natsu found himself in awe of Erza's beautiful breasts. They weren't quite as big as Lucy's, but Natsu could hardly tell the difference. Erza's massive breasts were perfectly round and moved up and down with each breath she took, her hardened nipples showing how excited she was. Reaching a hand out, Natsu gave one of Erza's tits a quick squeeze, noticing that they were much firmer than Lucy's. Erza let out a low moan, as Natsu continued to massage her breasts, occasionally giving her nipples a quick pinch. Natsu stopped squeezing Erza's left breast, replacing his hand with his mouth, his other hand continuing to play with her other breast. The scarlet-haired knight moaned loudly and wrapped her arms around Natsu's head, pulling him deeper into her bountiful bosom. As Natsu continued to play with Erza's tits, a familiar, intoxicating scent filled his nostrils, drawing him lower.

"N-Nastu...why'd you stop?" Erza asked, moaning in disappointment when Natsu stopped massaging her breasts. However, she squeaked in surprise when Natsu began to massage her womanhood through her panties.

"You're really excited Erza." Natsu said, as he spotted the large wet patch on Erza's panties. Hooking his fingers into the red panties, Natsu slowly pulled them down Erza's toned legs. Erza's thighs were soaked with her juices, as Natsu moved towards her exposed womanhood. "Let me help you with this."

"What are youAHHH!" Erza screamed in pleasure when Natsu's fingers dove into her wet folds. Having done this several times with Lucy before, Natsu knew exactly what to do. The pink-haired dragon slayer's tongue danced around Erza's clit, while his fingers drove in and out of her womanhood. The way Erza was tightly gripping his hair told Natsu that he was doing things right. "Fuck Natsu!" Erza bit her bottom lip, as she tightly closed her eyes, her mind focusing on nothing but the pleasure she was feeling. Switching things up, Natsu slid his tongue into Erza's womanhood, and used his hand to play with her clitoris. Natsu's fiery tongue drove Erza crazy, quickly bringing her to her first orgasm. "NATSU!" Erza screamed her lover's name, as her body shook with pleasure. However, Natsu didn't stop there. Once Erza had come down from her orgasmic high, Natsu continued once again. "SHIT!" The pink-haired dragon slayer returned to sucking on Erza's clit, while he fingered her. This time however, Natsu's other free hand reached up to massage one of Erza's breasts. The sudden barrage of pleasure almost immediately brought Erza to another orgasm. "I'm cumming!" Erza's body once again convulsed, as jolts of pleasure ran through her body.

"You taste great, Erza." Natsu said with a smirk, as he licked Erza's juices off his fingers.

"N-Natsu..." Erza panted out, sitting back up. "Take your boxers off, now." Natsu waisted no time complying with Erza's order. Quickly throwing his boxers across the room, Natsu presented his erect manhood to Erza. The scarlet-haired knight jaw hung open in awe, as she stared at Natsu's throbbing cock. All the dirty books she had read could not have prepared her for the dragon that was in front of her. Gulping lightly, Erza reached out and gripped Natsu's shaft, which was hot to the touch and sent electrical tingles through her body. Natsu hissed in pleasure as Erza slowly stoked his manhood.

"Your hands feel amazing Erza..." Natsu said, his moans further encouraging the scarlet-haired knight. "They're so soft..."

_"It's time I made him feel good." _Erza thought, as she took a deep breath. Steeling her nerves, Erza wrapped her mouth around Natsu's cock. The dual dragon slayer let out a long moan, as Erza's mouth began to move up and down his shaft. "

_"Erza's giving me a blowjob!" _Natsu thought, watching her head bob on his manhood, the sight alone almost enough to make him orgasm. _"Dream do come true!" _

Like with Lucy, Erza had no experience doing this type of thing. But also like Lucy, the books and magazines Erza had read gave her a pretty good idea of what she needed to be doing. As Erza bobbed her head, she swirled her tongue around Natsu's shaft, focusing attention on his tip. Whatever Erza's mouth couldn't reach, she stroked with her hand. Natsu almost came when he felt Erza's soft hands massage his balls. It took all of Natsu's willpower to fight off his orgasm, wanting this sensation to last as long as possible. But Natsu knew that he wasn't going to hold out much longer. Erza felt Natsu's cock begin to twitch in her mouth, as he began to thrust his hips slightly. Knowing what was about to come, Erza sped up. With a loud grunt, Natsu poured his seed into Erza's mouth. The scarlet-haired knight lapped up all of Natsu's semen, savoring the taste as it slid down her throat.

"Mmm, that was pretty tasty." Erza commented, as she licked her lips. "I'll have to try some more later. However, I want to get to the main event." Now fully into it, and very horny, Erza was much more confident then when they first started. Spinning around on the bed, Erza got on all fours and presented herself to her lover. "I'm ready whenever you are, Natsu. I want us to become one."

The pink-haired dragon slayer knew this was something that both of them wanted, so he quickly moved behind Erza and grabbed ahold of her hips. Stroking his cock back to life, Natsu teased his manhood across Erza's folds several times, slicking it with her juices. Then Natsu slowly slid inside Erza, both of them moaning at the sensation. The dual dragon slayer stay still for a few moments, so that Erza could get used to his size. Erza was amazed at how much Natsu filled her. She was also surprised at the lack of pain she was feeling. Sure she felt a slight discomfort, but that was quickly fading away. Erza had always read how painful a woman's first time was, but she wasn't feeling anything like that. But instead Erza was filled with an overwhelming feeling of happiness. After all these years, she was finally one with the man she loved, and she wasn't going to let him go, no matter what. Once the discomfort had passed, Erza rocked her hips, moaning as pleasure shot through her body.

"You can move now Natsu." Erza said in a husky tone, as she began to roll her hips.

"Okay, I'm gonna start moving." Natsu said, slowly thrusting in and out of Erza's dripping womanhood. Erza's back arched as her body became racked with pleasure. Natsu's grip on Erza's hips tightened, as he began to pound into her faster.

"Fuck! Fuck me harder, Natsu! Please!" Erza exclaimed, as she met Natsu's thrusts with her own. The scarlet-haired yelped in surprise when Natsu grabbed ahold of her breasts, and pressed her back against his chest. Natsu's thrusts became even stronger, causing Erza to scream out in pleasure. As Natsu continued to pound into Erza and play with her tits, he trailed fiery kiss along her neck and shoulder, sucking on the smooth and delicate flesh. "You're amazing Natsu! Don't stop!" Erza could feel her third orgasm quickly approaching, but before she could reach her peak, she felt Natsu pull out of her. Just when Erza was about to complain, she was flipped onto her back, with Natsu positioning himself between her thighs. Then without hesitation, Natsu thrust himself back into Erza's pussy. "YES!"

Natsu lunged forward and captured Erza's lips in a lust filled kiss. Erza wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck to deepen their kiss. Natsu's hands tightly gripped Erza's waist, as he continued to powerfully thrust into her. The scarlet-haired knight broke their kiss to let out a loud moan. Erza's moans drove Natsu, who wished to hear the sweet sounds even more. Natsu lowered his hand and began to suck on Erza's erect nipples. The scarlet-haired knight tangled her fingers in Natsu's hair, and held him close to her chest. After several more minutes of intense lovemaking, Natsu could feel his own orgasm approaching.

"Erza..." Natsu grunted out, as his thrusts became even harder and faster. "I'm gonna cum!"

"I'm close too!" Erza exclaimed, rocking her hips in time with Natsu's thrust. "I want you to cum inside me Natsu! Don't hold back!"

_"It is time!"_

_"Place your mark upon her!" _

_"Claim her as your mate!"_

Just as Natsu reached his orgasm, he leaned forward and sunk his teeth into the crook of Erza's neck, pushing some of his magic into her body. The scarlet-haired knight screamed out in pleasure, as Natsu's magic flooded her body. All these amazing sensations sent Erza over the edge into her own orgasm. Erza held onto Natsu tightly, as he whole body shook. After a few minutes both their orgasms subsided and Natsu released Erza's neck, some of her blood still dripping from his fangs. Natsu then slowly pulled out Erza, causing her to moan in disappointment, a mixture of their juices dripping onto the bed.

"Welcome to the family Erza." Natsu said, as he placed a gentle kiss on Erza's forehead. Erza's eyes widened as she let Natsu's words sink in. However, Natsu was worried when he heard Erza start sniffling. Turning his head, Natsu was shocked to see that Erza was crying. "What's wrong Erza?! Why are you crying!?"

"I'm fine Natsu..." Erza said with a smile, wiping away her tears. "I'm crying because I'm happy...and I'm happy because of what you just said. We really are like a family now. You, Lucy, and I...we're all bonded together." Erza reached up and touched were Natsu had bitten her. The skin was still a little tender, but Erza could feel an incredible heat emanating from the bite mark. Reaching onto a nearby nightstand, Erza grabbed a small hand mirror. Erza positioned the mirror so that she could view where Natsu had bitten her. The scarlet-haired knight smiled brightly when she saw the same mark Lucy had already beginning to form where she had been bitten.

"Whoa Erza...you're hair." Natsu pointed out, as he gently grabbed a handful of Erza's hair. The, now not so, scarlet-haired knight was pleasantly surprised to see that she now had several streaks of pink mixed among her scarlet locks. "I never knew how sexy you could look with some pink in your hair."

"I'm sexy, eh?" Erza said in lustful tone, pushing Natsu onto his back and straddling his waist. "We still have some time, so why don't you show this sexy girl a good time." Natsu moaned lightly, as Erza began to stroke his manhood. "This knight needs her dragon." That was all the encouragement Natsu needed. He tightly gripped her hips and lined his cock up with her pussy. Then with a powerful thrust, Natsu sheathed himself inside Erza once again. The dragon needed to show the knight who was truly in charge.

* * *

**And done! That's a wrap for this arc! I hope you all enjoyed this arc and the NatZa lemon. Next chapter will have our heroes returning home and will be starting the Battle for Fairy Tail arc. And with the next arc, Mirajane will finally be introduced into Natsu's harem. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED ALL OF YOUR FEEDBACK), and PM me any ideas you have for any of my fics. This will be the final quick update chapter, so the next chapter won't be out for a little bit. But just be patient and it will come eventually. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	30. Chapter 30 This Isn't Goodbye

**Hey everyone! I'm finally back to update this story! I apologize for the long delay, but I've been extremely busy with school, work, and the holidays these past few weeks. But I've finished school for this semester and I've updated my Pokemon fic, so now I have time to focus on this story for a bit. Like usual I will try to have a few quick update chapters out before I work on my Akame ga Kill fic, so look forward to that. This chapter will wrap up the Tower of Heaven arc and start the transition into the Battle for Fairy Tail arc. This story is nearing 800 reviews, 1700 followers, and 1600 favorites. Thank you all for your continued support and patience. **

**P.S. For those of you who have been keeping up with the manga, Irene's relation to Erza and her backstory were revealed recently. Because of how she's related to Erza it may prove to be difficult to add her into Natsu's harem, but I still want to try and add her somehow. I'll have to wait and see what happens with her later in the manga, but I think I might have a way to include her, especially with her backstory being the way it is. So Irene is still up in the air right now, but I still would love to add her, because I love her character and design. Plus I just feel like she would be a good final addition to Natsu's harem. Let me know what you guys think.**

**P.P.S. ****I recently got a PM from some group named The PolicyofTruth, warning me about the lemons in some of my fics, namely this fic; which is total bullshit, and it really upset me, since this fic only has two lemons, both of which are under 1,500 words, out of almost 30 chapters. I didn't take his warning too seriously, but just to be safe I want to be sort of careful for a little while. This site's rules regarding lemons never cease to irritate me, and it always seems to be my fics that get targeted for their lemons, when there's literally thousands of stories on this site that are nothing more than extremely graphic lemon fics. Sure my lemons can get a little racy, especially in this story, but they're nothing compared to some of the lemon fics I've ****read. There's dozens of better options this site can use, instead of straight up deleting stories and suspending authors for having sex in their stories. Like if they're so pissy about lemons just add a simple MA rating option for fics, or something like that. I would happily change my fics to a MA rating if it meant I wouldn't have to worry about them being deleted. This site is supposed to be a place for authors to be able to express themselves and share their ideas, but it's hard to do that when there's so many restrictions. I really don't want to, but if I have to, I will take my stories onto a different site. I don't want to have to do that, but I will if my fics are in danger of being deleted. I have this story and my Akame ga Kill fics backed up on Google Drive, so if they ever happened to get deleted I will be able to reupload them on another site. I hope that won't happen, but if I have to I will.**

**So without any further delay, let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters**

* * *

(Two Hours Later: Beach Outside Akane Resort)

"Um...so yeah...we're real sorry about everything that happened Erza." Wally said, rubbing the back of his head in embarassment. "We should have never believed those lies Jellal was telling us."

"I'm sorry too Er-chan." Milliana muttered sheepishly, as she hung her head in shame. "I knew you'd never abandon us like that."

"No, I'm the one who should be apologizing to you guys." Erza said, tightly balling her fists in self-loathing. "I'm the the stupid girl who didn't help her friends for eight whole years."

"Yeah, but you were being threatened by Jellal." Shô reasoned, as he tried to raise Erza's spirits. "You were forced to stay away from us, to protect us from him."

"I can't keep using excuses like that anymore..." Erza said in a saddened tone, rubbing her arm as she stared down at her feet. "If only I had thought of something sooner, then Simon-"

"You can't blame yourself for what happened to Simon, nee-san!" Shô exclaimed, as he took a step towards Erza. "He was just-"

"I understand how he felt..." Erza cut Shô off, holding up her hand to stop his advance. "I know how all of you must have felt..." A single tear rolled down Erza's cheeks. The scarlet-haired knight took a calming breath and wiped the tears from her face. "But we have no other option but to keep moving forward. Into the future that Simon helped secure for us."

"Yeah...you're right, nee-san." Shô muttered, as a sad smile spread across his face. "Simon wouldn't want us mourning him forever."

"It's so sad but..." Milliana said, crossing her arms behind her back. "Simon will always be with us, in our hearts."

"I have to believe in that...or I wouldn't be able to live with myself...son of bitch..." Wally struggled to say, as he took off his hat in respect, tears falling from his eyes. "I mean...what was the point of all this!?"

"We have to turn the past into the future and keep on moving forward." Erza said, rubbing the mate mark on her shoulder, feeling a comforting warmth spread through her body. "And the step we all take today will be the one that leads us to tomorrow."

"The step we take today, eh?" Wally parroted, as he put his hat back on and wiped away his tears.

"What are we going to do now?" Milliana asked no in particular, releasing a heavy sigh.

"If you all have nowhere else to go, you can come with us back to Fairy Tail and join our guild." Erza said, which caused all of her old nakama's eyes to widen in shock. "I'm sure you'd all be welcome there with open arms. I mean we're not ones to really hold grudges." A soft smile spread across Erza's face, as she extended her hand towards her old nakama. "I know it's not the same as the freedom that you guys were searching for all these years...but freedom is something that is very plentiful in Fairy Tail. I think you'd all really like it there."

"Hey, that Salamander kid was saying the same thing!" Wally exclaimed, turning to face Milliana.

"It's the most exciting guild in the world!" Milliana cheered with a large smile on her face.

"Plus, I'd love to be able to stay with you guys forever." Erza added, as she ran her fingers through her pink and scarlet locks. When the scarlet-haired knight spoke next, she muttered underneath her breath. "Especially since I have some wonderful news to tell you all. I'm finally with the man that I love."

_"You've changed nee-san..." _Shô thought, staring at Erza with curiosity, before a small smile spread across his face. _"You seem stronger somehow." _

"Now then..." Erza got everyone's attention, as she clapped her hands together. "Why don't we all head back now? I've got to properly introduce you all to Natsu and my other nakama."

"You can introduce me as the world's dandiest man." Wally tried to say in a cool voice, adjusting his sunglasses.

"I want to be best friends with Happy!" Milliana cheered, as she ran up to Erza and hugged her arm. "Will you introduce me to him, Er-chan!? I want to start fresh with him!"

"Of course Milliana." Erza said with a smile, ruffling Milliana's hair, much to her annoyance.

"Hey nee-san, there's something that I've been thinking about..." Shô said, as he followed closely behind Erza, his head cocked to the side in confusion.

"What's up Shô?" Erza asked, turning around to face the young man.

"I was just wondering..." Shô said, as he scratched his chin. "What's up with your hair?"

* * *

(That Night: Lucy's Room at the Akane Resort)

"Mmmm Natsu, your hands are amazing." Lucy moaned, releasing a long, happy sigh. The blonde celestial spirit mage was currently laying on her stomach, with Natsu straddling her hips. The dragon slayer's hands were hard at work massaging Lucy's back, his warm hands soothing her tight and aching muscles. "I could stay like this forever."

"Maybe you could reward me for helping you relax and unwind." Natsu whispered, as he gently nibbled on her ear.

"Hmmm, keep this up and you just might get your wish." Lucy said with a smirk, turning her head to give Natsu a quick kiss.

"LUCY!" Both mages were shocked when Erza suddenly burst into the blonde's room. The scarlet-haired knight immidiately stopped in her tracks when she saw the position Natsu and Lucy were in, her face tinting the same color as her hair. "S-Sorry to interrupt!" Embarrassed about interrupting Natsu and Lucy during their 'intimate' moment, Erza ran back into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.

"Erza! Come back! Natsu was just giving me a massage!" Lucy exclaimed, as she hopped of the bed and ran to the door. Throwing the door open, Lucy found Erza standing there sheepishly. Releasing a light sigh, Lucy tugged Erza back into the room. "It's fine Erza. I promise you weren't interrupting anything. My back was sore and Natsu offered to give me a massage."

"I understand..." Erza muttered, rubbing her arm nervously. "I still should have knocked though. I mean what if you two were...being intimate?"

"So?" Natsu asked with a shrug of his shoulders, as he slid off the bed and walked over to Erza and Lucy. The scarlet-haired knight was taken aback when Natsu suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close and gave her passionate kiss. The kiss caught Erza off guard, but she quickly recovered and started to kiss Natsu back. When the two mages eventually broke their liplock, Erza's was panting slightly and her face bright red. "You, Lucy, and I are together now, we're a family. So you can't be getting embarrassed if you see us being intimate. Hell, you could even join us if you wanted."

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet..." Erza said quietly, her faces turning several shades darker. "But I will try to work on not getting worked up when I see you together with other girls. It's just going to take a little getting used to."

"Take as long as you need Erza." Natsu said with a smile, as he placed a loving kiss on Erza's forehead. "I'm not gonna force you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"By the way Erza..." Lucy chimed in, getting the scarlet-haired knight's attention. "What did you want? You seemed pretty worked up when you first burst in here."

"Oh, that's right!" Erza exclaimed, as her eyes widened considerably. "Have either of you seen Shô or the other?"

"I haven't seen any of them since we all ate dinner together." Lucy replied, tapping her chin as she thought. "What about you Natsu?"

"I haven't seen them in a while either." Natsu said, as he shook his head. "I did see that Milliana girl playing with Happy earlier, but I haven't seen her since then."

"They were supposed to be staying at this hotel as well, but I can find them anywhere." Erza said, nervously bitting her bottom lip. "Where could they have gone?"

"Even after we said we should all check out tomorrow and head to guild together..." Lucy said, as she crossed her arms underneath her chest. "That's very strange...you don't they ran off without telling anyone?"

"I don't know..." Erza replied, releasing a heavy sigh.

"Why don't you see if you can pick up their scents?" Natsu asked, as he tapped his nose. "Your sense of smell should be almost on par with mine now, and you will know their scents better then Lucy or I."

"That's...not a bad idea." Erza said, staring at Natsu in shock. "Good thinking Natsu."

"I'm not a total idiot." Natsu said with a smirk, as he leaned against a nearby wall. "I do get a good idea from time to time."

"Well here goes nothing." Erza said, taking a calming breath, before she began to sniff the air in search of her old nakama's scents. After several moments Erza seemed to catch her friend's scents. But Lucy and Natsu were surprised to see that Erza seemed more upset then relieved. Releasing a heavy sigh, Erza suddenly hung her head. "I see..."

"What's up Erza? Did you find your friends?" Lucy asked, as she placed a hand on Erza's shoulder. "If you did we should probably go after them. There's no reason for you guys to be apart-"

"Thank you Lucy...but they've made their decision..." Erza said, softly smiling at the blonde celestial spirit and gently shaking off her hand. A sad look spread across Lucy's face, before she nodded her head in understanding. "Natsu...please find Gray and get some 'fireworks' ready." Erza then turned to leave the room. "Meet me down at the beach in twenty minutes."

"Wait Erza!" Lucy called out, but the scarlet-haired knight had already left. "Fireworks? What's she talking about Natsu?"

"Come on Luce." Natsu said, grabbing ahold of Lucy's hand and leading her out of the room. "We're gonna need your help as well."

* * *

(Five Minutes Later: Town Just Outside Akane Resort)

"The outside world truly is exciting..." Shô said, as he stared at the crowds of happy and laughing people around him. "All these people are just walking around...even though it's night time."

"OI!" A sudden commotion caused Shô to turn around, where he spotted Milliana being yelled at by the owner of one of the many stalls. "What the hell do you think you're doing!? You little..."

"What's Milliana gotten herself into now..." Shô muttered, releasing a light sigh as he walked over towards the cat-girl.

"Huh?" Milliana asked, as she cocked her head in confusion, taking a bite of a chocolate covered banana. "Did I do something wrong."

"You can't just eat that banana!" The stall owner yelled, slamming his fist onto the countertop.

"Why? A bunch of them were just sitting here, so I thought I'd eat one, that's all." Milliana said, now more confused then ever. "They looked really delicious."

"I will thank you for complimenting my cooking, but those are for sale!" The stall shouted, as a vein bulged on his forehead. "You can't just go around eating them because you feel like it!"

"For...sale?" Milliana repeated in a confused tone, quirking an eyebrow. "What's that mean?"

"I don't know what's going on here, but if these things are yours, you shouldn't just leave them out for everyone to see." Wally said, as he stood next to Milliana protectively. "That doesn't seem too smart to me."

"Alright I've had enough! Will the both of you shut the hell up!?" The stall owner roared, slamming his fist onto the counter repeatedly. "Now pay up! Give me the money you owe me!"

"Hey Wally, what's money?" Milliana asked, as she turned to the blockheaded man.

"Oh...m-money...that's...you know..." Wally stuttered, trying his best to think of something to say, before turning to the stall owner. "Help me out here man. I've never actually heard of this 'money' thing before."

"Oh! Trying to pull a fast one on me are you!?" The stall owner yelled, as he wagged his finger. "Well you better give it up! Hand it over! Pay me now damn it!"

"This way!" Shô exclaimed, grabbing ahold of Milliana's hand and pulling her into a nearby crowd of people. "Wally, Milliana! Follow me!"

"NYA! Hold on Shô!" Milliana yelped, as she struggled to keep up with Shô pace.

"Oi Shô! What the hell is 'money' anyways!?" Wally asked, running behind Milliana.

"Forget about that for now Wally!" Shô yelled, as he spotted the stall owner chasing after them. "We have to move!"

"Hold it you little bastards!" The stall owner roared, sprinting after the the thieves. "Hold it!"

"He's coming after us!" Milliana shouted, extending her hand towards the stall owner. "I'll use my magic-"

"No!" Shô exclaimed, as he slapped Milliana's hand. "Since we're living in the outside world now, we can't just use magic to solve all our problems."

* * *

(Twenty Minutes Later: Beach South of Akane Resort)

"Do you think we'll really be able to survive in the outside world?" Wally asked, sitting on the edge of the small boat that Shô was preparing. Behind Wally was Milliana, who was hugging her knees as she sat inside the boat. The cat-girl had a sad look on her face, as she buried her head into her knees. "That little incident earlier wasn't a very good sign..."

"It doesn't matter whether we can or not! We have to!" Wally exclaimed in a frustrated tone, untying the boat from a nearby post. "We can't stay here and cause anymore trouble for nee-san and Fairy Tail." Both Wally and Milliana nodded in agreement, and seemed to perk up just a little. "Now let's get out of here! We've gotta go before nee-san and the others realize we're gone!"

"You're right! We'll make it somehow!" Wally said with a smirk, as he helped Shô push the boat out to sea.

"Let's do our best!" Milliana cheered, pumping her fist into the air.

"Hold it right there!" A familiar voice caused Shô, Wally, and Milliana to freeze in place. Turning around, the three of them were shocked to see Erza walking towards them. The scarlet-haired knight had a stern look on her face, as she approached the trio.

"N-Nee-san..." Shô said, as he gulped audibly.

"I-If you're going to try and stop us...don't bother!" Wally exclaimed, trying his best to act tough in front of Erza. "We've made up our minds, and we're not backing down now..."

"We lived our entire lives inside that damn tower...now we're trying to take our first steps in the outside world..." Shô said, as he avoided Erza's gaze and tightly balled his fists. "Sure there are so many things we don't know, things that we're scared about...but we want to see what the world has to offer with our own eyes. We don't want to keep relying on you or anyone else our entire lives...and we don't want to live for anyone else's sake either. We want to live our lives ourselves...to find the things that we really want to do!" Taking a calming breath, Shô raised his head and smiled at Erza. "That's the freedom we've been searching for all these years!"

"With a strong and unwavering will like that, you all can accomplish anything you set your hearts to." Erza said with a small smile, clutching a hand over her aching heart. "Although I'm still sad, I'm also quite relieved now." Erza's old nakama were surprised when her body was suddenly bathed in a bright white light. "However...I have three rules that I am honor bound to tell anyone leaving Fairy Tail. So you three better listen well, because I won't repeat myself." When the light encompassing Erza died down, she dressed in a new armor. The breastplate was fairly plain, with the waistguard attached to it being similar to the one in Erza's new Heart Kreuz armor, composed of simply two hanging plates, paired with a ruffled cloth sprouting from under it over some chainmail; all of which surmounted a long skirt, reaching down to Erza's knees and covering the rather featureless greaves. The gauntlets, covered the entirety of her arms, are similarly unadorned with only her pauldrons, composed of overlapping plates, having some decorations over the upper plates.

"Hold up...'leaving." Wally parroted in a confused tone, as he quirked an eyebrow. "We never joined in the first place."

"One!" Erza exclaimed, getting everyone's attention, as she slammed a staff adorning Fairy Tail's flag into the ground. "You must never, under any circumstance, reveal any sensitive information about Fairy Tail to outsiders, as long as you live! Two! You must never use the clients you met through the guild to achieve personal gain!" Everyone's serious facade was broken when Erza momentarily stopped to choke back a sob. The scarlet-haired knight took a shaky breath to calm herself, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Th-Three! Though our paths may split...y-you must live out your lives to the fullest! You m-must never consider your life insignificant!" By now Erza's old nakama were crying as well, all of them touched by the scarlet-haired knight's words. "N-Never forget the friends that you hold d-dear!" Briefly bitting her lip to hold back another sob, Erza raised her staff high into the air. "Let the Fairy Tail send off party...begin!"

"You guys!" Natsu cheered, as he appeared behind Erza with Gray and Lucy beside him. "We'll totally see you again sometime!" A grin spread across Natsu's face, as he pointed at Erza's old nakama. "Make sure you all stop by Fairy Tail sometime and visit Erza! She's gonna miss all you all!" The pink-haired dragon slayer then turned to face Lucy and Gray. "Alright you two! You know what to do! Let's light it up!" Natsu's pointed his head skyward, as his cheeks bulged with magic. Moments later Natsu fired a volley of compact balls of lightning and fire dragon slayer magic into the air. Once the balls of magic were high in the sky, they exploded into brilliant flowers of orange flame and yellow lightning.

"Let them blossom in your hearts!" Erza exclaimed, watching as her old nakama stared at Natsu's 'fireworks' in awe. "These flowers of brilliant light!"

"Let's not forget the ice as well!" Gray yelled, as he fired several spears of ice into the air. Just like Natsu, when Gray's magic reached a certain hight it burst outwards, forming large flowers made of ice, which thanks to Natsu's display seemed to glow in the night sky.

"I'll even add in a celestial spirit version!" Lucy cheered, raising Aquarius' key into the air and firing a ball of her magic. Once's Lucy's magic had reached Natsu and Gray's, it exploded into a magnificent golden light.

"To tell the truth...I would rather stay with you guys forever..." Erza said, as she stared at the beautiful display filling the night sky, tears still pouring from her eyes. "But...that would mean holding you guys back...and I don't want to do that...I would rather just wish you well on your journey..."

"That...That's not it a-all Er-chan!" Milliana struggled to say through her tears. "Y-You've got it all w-wrong!"

"Yeah, if we were around we'd just keep bringing up all those horrible memories for you!" Wally exclaimed, trying and failing to stop his own tears from falling.

"No matter where you go in this world...I will never forget any of you." Erza said, as she raised her staff into the air. "And besides...Those painful memories are what helped us reach tomorrow, and make us stronger." With tears still falling, Erza's old nakama boarded their small boat and began to sail away. "Walk tall! And I too will keep walking tall, forever onwards!" Natsu, Lucy, and Gray walked up next to Erza, joining her in seeing her old friends off. Fairy Tail's flag waved proudly from atop Erza's staff, seeming to glow because of the fireworks that filled the night sky. "As long as you don't forget this day, we will meet again! Farewell my friends!"

"You too nee-san! And Fairy Tail too!" Shô shouted, as the boat began to drift farther and farther away.

"By bye Er-chan!" Milliana exclaimed, smiling through her tears, as she energetically waved to the Fairy Tail members.

"We'll definitely meet again! That's a promise!" Wally yelled, hiding his face behind his hat.

"It's a promise." Erza whispered, as she wiped away her tears. The scarlet-haired knight managed to keep up her facade for a few moments longer, but as soon as the boat was out of sight she broke down. Erza immidiately fell to her knees, burying her face into her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. Natsu and Lucy were by the crying knight's side instantly.

"I know it's hard to say goodbye to your friends Erza..." Natsu said sweetly, wrapping his around Erza's waist and pulling her close. The dual dragon slayer's comforting warmth completely enveloped Erza, as he rested his head against hers. "But you did the right thing. They need to find their own path in life."

"Yeah, and you will see them again someday." Lucy said, as she gently gripped Erza's trembling hand. "This goodbye isn't permanent. When you see them again, they'll have found success in whatever they set their hearts to."

"Natsu...Lucy..." Erza managed to say, locking eyes with both mages, as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. Suddenly Erza wrapped her arms around Natsu and Lucy's neck, and hugged their heads against her chest. "Thank you both...I don't know what I'd do without you two."

"You don't need to thank us Erza." Lucy said with a small smile, as she returned Erza's embrace.

"Yeah, we'll always be there for you." Natsu finished, grinning up at the scarlet-haired knight. "I just hope you'll be there for us as well."

"Of course..." Erza replied instantly, as she managed to smile through her tears. "We're family now, right?"

"I guess we shouldn't interrupt them." Gray muttered, rubbing the back of his head. The ice mage then crouched down next to Happy. "Why don't we give them some time alone Happy? We can start packing or something."

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered, as he followed Gray back to the resort.

* * *

(Same Time: Unknown Location)

"And so..." Ultear said with a content sigh, sinking further into her relaxing bubble bath. "The council will no doubt have to take responsibility for their actions. I don't believe they'll be able to operate normally for quite some time. Hell, they might end up being disbanded completely."

"Excellent work Ultear." A deep voice echoed from a nearby communication lacrima. "So...what was Jellal's fate?"

"I could care less..." Ultear replied with a smirk, running a hand over glistening skin. "As far as I know he could have died..."

"Hmmm, without ever realizing he was being manipulated by the woman he thought he was manipulating...what a disgraceful man."

"Oho don't say that." Ultear said with a smile, as she slipped out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around her body. "I did rather enjoy the assignment...and Jellal did look oh so adorable when he was plotting his scheme." Ultear suddenly clutched a hand over her racing heart, as she recalled a certain pink-haired dragon slayer. _"And of course that mission did introduce me to Natsu Dragneel...what a fascinating man. After what I witnessed the power he displayed while fighting Jellal..." _Ultear bit her bottom lip to suppress a moan as a pleasurable shudder ran down her spine. _"Mmmm, I have to meet him again...I have to see that strength again." _

"Ultear?"

"Sorry about that, I got distracted for a moment." Ultear lied, quickly tying her hair into a ponytail.

"Whatever...But I must say, that despite you brainwashing Jellal, the plan proceeded beyond perfectly. The conflict engulfing the council...the firing of **Etherion**...all of it went according to plan."

"Indeed..." Ultear said with a light sigh, as she sank down onto a nearby chair. "Whilst Jellal was going on his little rampage, you were able to move about freely."

"And as a result, one of the keys to the seal is finally mine..."

"Oh congratulations!" Ultear cheered with mock enthusiasm, clapping her hands together. A smirk spread across the time mage's face, as she leaned back in the seat. "So very sorry Jellal-sama, but there was never any chance of you reviving Zeref. Actually, there is no chance of anybody bringing Zeref back from the dead. After all, Zeref was never dead in the first place. He merely lies dormant at the moment."

"That is quite true...by the way Ultear..."

"Yes, what is it?" Ultear asked, as she cocked her head slightly.

"You seem to be quite distracted as of later. Is there something on your mind?"

"Not really..." Ultear replied, a small smile spreading across her face. "I just met a very interesting man while I was working with Jellal...I've just been thinking about him quite a lot lately."

"It's that pink-haired dragon slayer from Makarov's bunch of brats, right?"

"How did you-"

"Be careful very careful Ultear, because you're treading on very dangerous ground right now. I would hate to find out you were cooperating with Fairy Tail...then I would have to eliminate you...and I would just hate to do that."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of helping those nuisances." Ultear said, waving she waved her hand dismissively. "That Natsu Dragneel just happened to catch my eye. There's nothing else to it."

"Good, because I would hate to have to question your allegiance...Well we'll have to continue this another time, I must go."

"Bye bye." Ultear said with a forced smile, as she waved to the lacrima crystal. Once the communication had been cut a from spread across Ultear's face. "Tch, stupid old man...who does he think he is questioning my loyalties like that?" Ultear sighed as she gazed up at the bathroom's ceiling. "I'm not gonna stop observing Natsu...but I will have to be more cautious from now on."

* * *

(The Next Morning: Magnolia Town)

"Man it feels to be good back home after that ordeal." Gray said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Our nice vacation turned into a real shit show."

"Oh it wasn't all bad." Lucy said, as she glanced at Natsu and Erza out of the corner of her eye. The scarlet-haired knight was currently hugging Natsu's arm in between her impressive bust, and was resting her head against his shoulder. The two mages had been almost inseparable on the trip back to Magnolia, always touching each other in some way. Lucy had to admit that she was slightly upset that she didn't get to really spend any time with Natsu, but she knew that Erza deserved her time with the dragon slayer after everything they had been through. Although Lucy now knew that she wouldn't be the only one in Natsu's heart, she couldn't be happier for the new lovers. A soft smile spread across Lucy's face as she gazed at Natsu and Erza. "There was something good that came out of this trip."

"Huh? What are you-" Gray stopped when he saw where Lucy was looking. Despite their constant fighting and bickering, Gray did have to admit that he was happy for Natsu. He knew how much the dragon slayer loved Erza, and he could see that they were truly happy together. Although Gray did have his doubts about the whole being with multiple girls thing, he knew that if there was anyone who could pull it off it was Natsu. "Yeah, I guess something good did happen."

"Guys! Look ahead!" Happy exclaimed, frantically pointing towards something in front of them. "The guild! It's...it's..."

"What a surprise..." Erza breathed out, as she stared at the restored building before them.

"Holy shit!" Natsu yelled, gazing the brand new, massive guild hall right before his eyes. "They finished it already?!"

"It's huge..." Lucy breathed out, as she marveled at the towering guild hall.

"Well...let's head inside." Gray said, leading the group inside the building.

* * *

(Inside Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

Walking into guild hall, the Fairy Tail mages were met with a flurry of cheers and greetings from their fellow guild members. Natsu and the others simply stared in awe at the completely redesigned building, the dragon slayer taken aback by all the radical changes.

"Hey! Welcome back you guys!"

"Did you enjoy your vacation!?"

"Bet you all were surprised! This is our brand new guild!"

"Erza! What's up with your hair?!"

"What's up Natsu!? You lost for words!?"

"But...I mean...everything is just...so different!" Natsu replied, staring dumbfounded at the massive open seating area in front of him. "It's completely changed!"

"Well yeah, we did totally rebuild the entire thing from scratch."

"So...we've got an open air cafe now?" Gray asked no one in particular, as some guild members waved at him from a nearby table.

"What?! There's even a souvenir shop by the entrance!?" Lucy exclaimed, running over to the small store.

"Welcome!" Max cheered, as he waved everyone over. "Oh hey, it's you guy...welcome back!"

"Oh, you're running the shop Max." Erza said, looking at all the various knick knacks Max was selling. "You've got quite the selection here."

"Thanks." Max said with a grin, as he rested his fists on his hips. "We've got Fairy Tail t-shirts, wrist bands, mugs, towels and even special lacrima crystals!" Max's grin widened as he reached underneath the counter and pulled out several new trinkets. "But our most popular items are definitely these Fairy Tail mage figurines! They're 3000 jewels a pop!"

"Holy shit!" Natsu exclaimed with a childlike smile, grabbing a figure of himself. "Luce! Erza! I have my own fucking action figure! This is so cool!"

"That's great Natsu." Lucy said with a sweatdrop, as she smiled awkwardly.

"Lucy! Lucy!" Happy cheered, holding up a figurine of the blonde celestial spirit mage. "There's even a figure of you!"

"WHAT?!" Lucy yelled, as she snatched the small toy. "Don't just go making stuff like this without my permission! It's so embarrassing..." A light blush spread across Lucy's face as she inspect the figure. "Well...I guess they did do a good job...it's really well crafted..." Lucy quirked an eyebrow when she spotted a small button on the base of the figure. "Huh, what's this do?" When Lucy pressed the button, her eyes shot open when all the figurine's clothing suddenly popped off. "Wh-What the hell is this?!"

"All the clothing is removable, naturally." Max said with a smirk.

"KYAAA!" Lucy screamed, hiding her neon red face in her hands.

"Max?" Natsu asked in a menacing tone, as the figure he was holding melted in his hand.

"Yeah Nat-" Max stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the enraged look in Natsu's eyes. A shiver ran down Max's spine, as Natsu seemed to loom over him. "W-What is it N-Natsu?"

"You said the clothes are removable on the Lucy figures...does that apply for the Erza and Mira ones too?" Natsu asked, tightly gripping the front of Max's shirt and pulling him close. "Because if they are, we're gonna have a real problem."

"N-Now that you mention it..." Max said in a panic, as he rushed to grab all the Lucy, Erza, and Mirajane figures that he had. "I just remembered that all these figures are defective! Yeah that's it! Of course their clothes are supposed to stay on! Stupid manufacturing error! I'll go sort this out right now!" Loading all the figures into a box, Max bolted out of the guild as fast as he could.

"I better not see anything like that again." Natsu growled, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation.

"You didn't have to do that Natsu." Lucy lightly scolded, before a small smile spread across her face. After making sure that no one was looking, Lucy placed a quick kiss on Natsu's cheek. "But thank you for looking out for me."

"I just couldn't stand the thought of some perv ogling you...even if it's just a figure." Natsu muttered, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "You and Erza are my girls after all..."

"Oh you're so cute when you're like this." Lucy teased, as she discreetly gave Natsu's hand a reassuring squeeze. "But you don't have to worry about that...Erza and I love you with all our hearts."

"Hm? Oh, you guys are finally back!" Cana cheered with a wide grin, waving the returning mages over. "You've gotta check this out!" When Natsu and the others walked over, they were shocked to see the massive, redesigned main room.

"Whoa! It's amazing!" Lucy exclaimed, clapping her hands together as she gazed at dozens of packed tables in front of her. "It's completely new!"

"Yes, it's quite impressive." Erza said, as she nodded her head in agreement.

"Oi, what's up Natsu?" Gray asked, noticing that the dragon slayer appeared to be in a rather sullen mood.

"Tch, it's not like it used to be..." Natsu muttered in response, as he hid most of his face behind his scarf. "Everything is all different."

"And that's not the only new thing we've got!" Cana said, pointing towards a door besides the bar. "Out we've got a pool!" The smirking brunette then gestured to a set of stairs leading down below the guild's main room. "Downstairs there's a game room!" Cana then pointed towards the guild's second floor. "But perhaps the biggest change of all...is the second floor! Anybody is allowed up there now!"

"Wah! We can finally go up on the second floor now?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she clasped her hands together.

"You got it!" Cana replied with a wink.

"So you brats are finally back?" Everyone turned to see Makarov walking towards them. However, they weren't expecting to see the second person standing beside Fairy Tail's master. With a large grin, Makarov gestured to the blue-haired woman. "This is our newest Juvia. Cute, ain't she?"

"It's great to see you all again!" Juvia said with a bright smile. _"Especially Natsu and Gray-sama." _The blue-haired water mage's appearance had changed quite drastically since Natsu and the others had last seen her. Juvia now wore a much more revealing blue and white dress that went down to her knees. She also white boots and gloves with blue trimming. But the biggest change to Juvia's appearance had to be her hair. She still wore a hat atop her hear, which was also new, but her hair was now radically shorter, barely reaching down to her shoulders now.

"HAHA! So you really did join our guild!?" Gray laughed, rubbing the back of his head. _"Great, I have a feeling things are gonna get a lot more annoying around here now." _

"S-So..." Juvia muttered, as she suddenly became very flustered and embarrassed. "H-How does J-Juvia look?"

"Huh?" Gray said, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. "You look fine I guess." The ice mage's response caused Juvia to deflate instantly, her shoulders sagging as she hung her head. Seeing Juvia upset caused Natsu to frown in annoyance, as he walked over and slapped Gray upside the head. "Ow! What the hell was that for flame brain!?"

"I think you look beautiful Juvia." Natsu said, as he completely ignored the ice mage. The dual dragon slayer strolled over and gently ran his fingers through Juvia's ocean blue locks. "That's a really cute dress and I love what you did with your hair."

"R-Really?" Juvia squeaked out, a bright blush spreading across her face as she began to fidget slightly. "You really think Juvia looks pretty?"

"Of course!" Natsu exclaimed with a toothy grin, as he rested his fists on his hips. "Although I personally prefer your hair longer, but you still looks great with it short."

_"So Natsu prefers Juvia_'s _hair longer..." _Juvia thought, winding a few ocean blue locks around her finger. _"Maybe Juvia will grow it out again soon..." _

"Oh Juvia, I missed my chance when we were back at the resort..." Erza said, as she walked up to the water mage. "But thank you for all your help back in the Tower of Heaven. Lucy told me that she would've been a goner without you."

"That's not true, Lucy-san is a very capable mage and could have handled herself...but Juvia is happy to hear that she was helpful." Juvia said, clutching a hand over her heart. "Besides Juvia is the one who should be thanking all of you! Juvia will do her best to help Fairy Tail!"

"That's great to hear Juvia!" Lucy cheered with a bright smile.

"Oi flame brain, you still have answered me!" Gray yelled, as he grabbed ahold of the dragon slayer's shoulder. "Why the hell did you hit me?!"

"God and people think I'm dense." Natsu muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. The dragon slayer then turned to Gray with eyes full of irritation. "Juvia obviously wanted you to compliment her you idiot, and she was really let down when you didn't."

"Why do care if compliment Juvia or not?" Gray asked, as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Because I hate seeing seeing that sad look on Juvia's face and I want her to be happy." Natsu said, before he got right in Gray's face. "You better watch yourself around Juvia ice princess, because if you ever make her cry I won't forgive you." The dual dragon slayer locked eyes with Gray for several moments, his eyes full of fire. Gray knew that Natsu wasn't going to back down, and the ice mage wasn't really looking for an argument right now, so he decided to keep his mouth shut. After several more moments Natsu spun around and walked back over to Lucy and the others.

"Geez, what's his problem?" Gray asked himself, rubbing the back of his head as she slowly followed behind Natsu.

_"Stupid Gray, why doesn't realize what a great girl Juvia is?" _Natsu thought, as he tightly balled his fists, felling an ache in his chest. _"I swear if he ever hurts her..."_

_"Remember that you must be patient." _

_"You cannot force your feelings upon the blue-haired water mage." _

_"You will win her over in due time."_

_"Good things come to those who wait." _

_"Tch, I know." _Natsu thought, a small frown forming on his face. _"Doesn't mean I have to like it though." _

"Well I'm happy to see that you are all getting along well with Juvia." Makarov said, as he nodded his head, clasping his hands behind his back. "Please make sure she feels welcome here...Oh! I almost forgot, there's one more new member I'd like you to meet." Makarov turned to a rather imposing figure with their back to them. "Oi! Get over here and introduce yourself!"

"Another new member?" Erza asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Well isn't this a surprise." However, Erza and everyone else's eyes widened when the figure spun around in their seat, revealing the iron dragon slayer Gajeel. "W-What?!"

"You're kidding me right!?" Gray exclaimed, as he slid into a fighting stance. "Master! This has to be some kind of joke right?!"

"Wait! Juvia met up with Gajeel-kun on her way here and brought him with her!" Juvia yelled, trying her best to diffuse the tension that had risen in the room.

"Juvia is one thing...but this guy is the one who destroyed our guild." Erza said in a low tone, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "That can't be forgiven."

"Now, now brats..." Makarov said, as he walked in between Erza and Gajeel. "He was only acting upon Jose's orders back then, he had no real choice. You know the old saying, yesterday's enemies are today's friends."

"I-I d-don't really m-mind." Levy said in a shaky voice, poking her out from behind a pillar. The petite blue-haired girl was flanked on both sides by Jet and Droy; both men had menacing looks as they glared at Gajeel.

"Levy-chan..." Lucy muttered, as she discreetly released a light sigh. _"She still must be pretty shaken up over what happened." _

The tension between the Fairy Tail mages and Gajeel didn't appear to be fading anytime soon; all of them ready to attack at a moments notice. However, everything seemed to stop when Natsu made his way over to Gajeel. The dual dragon slayer stopped right in front of Gajeel and locked eyes with the menacing man. Everyone held their breath as Natsu continued to hold the iron dragon slayer's gaze.

"N-Natsu please don't fight with Gajeel-kun." Juvia said meekly, walking over to the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Juvia is the one-" Natsu cut off the water mage by holding out his hand.

Everyone expected Natsu to try and punch Gajeel, or at least yell at him, but no one was prepared for what the pink-haired dragon slayer actually did. With a toothy grin, Natsu extended his hand out to Gajeel. "Looks like you took my advise after all! Welcome to Fairy Tail man!"

"H-Huh?" Gajeel said, completely taken aback by the pink-haired dragon slayer's words. "What are you trying to pull Salamander?"

"I'm not trying to pull anything, I'm just happy there's another dragon slayer in the guild." Natsu said, suddenly grabbing ahold of Gajeel's hand and shaking it. "You remember what I said after we fought? Sure, I can't really forgive you for hurting Luce and my nakama, but I don't hate you Gajeel. You didn't have to say anything, because I figured it out while we were fighting. You're actually a pretty good guy, but you were being manipulated by that bastard Jose. Plus you gave me the toughest fight in my entire life, so you've earned my respect." The iron dragon slayer was so stunned by Natsu's actions that he simply stared at the dual dragon slayer in shock. "I would actually like us to be friends. We dragon slayers need to stick together, ya know?"

_"Natsu...thank you for accepting Gajeel-kun." _Juvia thought, as she felt tears sting the corners of her eyes.

"Tch, don't think you can win me over with your sweet words." Gajeel said in irritated tone, which Natsu could tell was fake, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't join this guild because you wanted me too. I needed work, that's all there is to it. Any guild would have sufficed."

"We'll see about that." Natsu said, grin never leaving his face. "Hey, maybe we could go on a job together sometime. I have a feeling we'd make a really kickass team."

"Forget it, there's no way I'm ever working with you." Gajeel said, as he turned around and sat back in his seat.

"Why the hell did you even bring the bastard here?" Gray asked in an annoyed tone, slightly glaring at Juvia. "He'll be nothing but trouble."

"Well Gajeel-kun is always by himself and he seemed so lonely, Juvia simply couldn't bear to leave him behind." Juvia replied, as she fidgeted underneath Gray's piercing gaze. "I...I mean it's not Juvia likes him or anything."

"Whatever, not like I really care anyways." Gray said, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away.

"It is the duty of an old man like myself to guide young children who have lost their way back onto the right path." Makarov said, as he stroked his chin. "Like Natsu said, Gajeel isn't a bad man at heart...at least I think so."

"If it's your decision Master...and Natsu says he's okay...then I will support it." Erza said, crossing her arms underneath her impressive bust. "But I still think we should keep an eye on him for a while. I trust Natsu's judgement, but I can't help but feel a little uneasy."

"Don't worry Erza, I'll make sure he doesn't try anything suspicious." Makarov said, as he nodded his head.

"Ugh, I'm glad that Juvia and Gajeel joined the guild, but..." Natsu muttered, gazing at all new things around him. "I don't know about this new guild...it just doesn't feel right for some reason..."

"Would you relax already lover boy!" Cana cheered with a grin, as she ushered Natsu towards a table. "The main event is about to start!"

"Main event?" Natsu parroted, quirking an eyebrow as he took a seat. "What are you talking about Cana?"

"Just watch." Cana said, as she sat on top of the table next to Natsu. Suddenly all the lights in the guild went out, plunging the guild hall into darkness. Natsu felt a pleasurable shiver run down his spine when he felt Cana whisper into his ear in a sultry voice. "I'm sure this show will cheer you up." Just then several spotlights lit up, shining their light upon a stage. When the curtain drew back, Natsu's eyes slowly widened when he saw Mirajane in a beautiful leopard print dress, sitting on stool with a guitar in her hands.

"Mira..." Natsu breathed out, in awe of the barmaid's beauty. "She looks stunning."

"I didn't Mira could sing." Lucy said, as she turned to Natsu and Erza.

"Mirajane has a beautiful singing voice." Erza said, taking a bite of her strawberry cake. "I guarantee it will send shivers down your spine."

"WOOO! Mira-cha!"

"This is what we've been waiting for!"

"Yeah Mira-chan!"

"This song is dedicated to all of our mages that are out on mission and those who have recently returned." Mirajane said with a wink, before she blew a kiss, which was aimed directly at Natsu. Taking a calming breath, Mirajane began to strum her guitar, filling the air with a soothing melody. "I gently touch the stool where you used to sit...alone once more today with the shadows...I look up to the vast sky and whisper a prayer~ You're out there somewhere, staring up at this vast sky as well~ I bear with tears, even as I tremble...even when the darkness threatens to swallow me whole~"

"You were right Erza." Lucy said, as she gazed down at her eyes. "I've totally got goosebumps right now. Mira's voice is simply beautiful. What do you think Nat-" Lucy stopped when she saw the look on Natsu's face. The pink-haired dragon slayer had a goofy smile on his face, seemingly entranced by Mirajane's song. Lucy smiled at her lover, before she turned her focus back to Mirajane's performance. "I guess that answers my question."

"Don't you forget~ There will always be~ A place for you~ To call home~" Mirajane sang with a soft smile, locking eyes with Natsu from across the guild hall. "And people you love waiting there~ For you~"

"You're the best Mira-chan!"

"Alright! Keep it going!"

"We love you Mira-chan!"

"I could listen to Mira sing all day..." Natsu said, his smile widening as he rested his head on his hand. As the pink-haired dragon slayer got lost in Mirajane's song, her didn't notice a devious smile spread across Gajeel's face.

"Geehee." Gajeel laughed, slamming his foot down on top of Natsu's.

"OWWWW! God damn it!" Natsu roared, as he shot out of his seat, standing on top of the table. The pink-haired dragon slayer immidiately fiercely glared at Gajeel. "What the fuck was that for Gajeel!? You did that on purpose ya bastard! Do you have problem with me enjoying Mira's song or something?!"

"Oi! Shut the hell up you two!" Some random guild members yelled, as they threw their beer mugs at Natsu and Gajeel. The pink-haired dragon slayer was so caught up in yelling at Gajeel that he didn't notice the metal beer mugs flying towards him. Both dragon slayers were hit by the mugs, causing their heads to snap back.

"Natsu! Are you okay?!" Lucy exclaimed, rushing over to her lover's side. But her worries were for nothing, because Natsu was back on his feet in seconds.

"Alright! Which one of you bastards threw that?!" Natsu yelled, flipping over the table he had been sitting at, which in turn sent Cana and Juvia tumbling to the floor. "Oh shit! Sorry Cana, Juvia!"

"It's fine Natsu, you didn't hurt Juvia." Juvia said, as she got back onto her feet.

"Tch, speak for yourself. I fell right on my ass." Cana cursed, rubbing her sore behind. However, the lush brunette's eyes shot open in anger when she saw that her beer had spilled all over the floor. "Damn it Natsu! You made me spill my drink! You owe me now!"

"I'll buy you a drink some other time Cana!" Natsu exclaimed, as he dodged a chair that had been hurled at him by Gajeel. "Just get down!" Cana cocked her head in confusion for a moment, before she noticed a bottle flying towards her head. The brunette card mage squeaked in surprise, diving for cover behind an overturned table.

"For fucks sake Natsu!" Gray shouted, roughly standing up from his seat, bumping into Erza in the process. The scarlet-haired knight watched in horror as her cake fell onto the floor. "Why do you always have to start shit like this!"

"M-My strawberry cake..." Erza whimpered, as she reached for the delicious sweets. She screamed in shock when Elfman suddenly trampled her piece of cake. "My...cake..."

"Oh shit..." Natsu breathed out, watching as Erza hung her head, her shoulder beginning to shake. Someone had fucked with Erza's cake, and knew what was about to happen. "Lucy, Juvia! Get down!" Grabbing both girls' hands, Natsu dove behind the table Cana was using as cover.

"Natsu why did-"

"Just stay down!" Natsu exclaimed, as he cowered behind the table. There is only time that Natsu truly fears Erza, and that's when someone gets between her and strawberry cake. "Erza's about to go on a rampage!"

"Damn it you guys!" Elfman yelled, punching a random guild member in the face. "Shut the hell up and listen to nee-chan's song!"

"Shut the fuck up Elfman!" Erza roared in fury, as she hit Elfman in the face with a powerful roundhouse kick, sending him flying across the guild hall. Equipping two swords, Erza chased after the massive man, destroying everything that stood in her path. "I'm not done with you Elfman!" The fiery redhead suddenly turned her fierce gaze to Gray, who was currently fighting with some other guild members. When the ice mage met Erza's eyes, he nearly pissed his pants in terror. Erza growled and pointed her blade at Gray. "Once I'm done with Elfman, I'm coming for you Gray!"

"Oh shit!" Gray exclaimed, leaping out of the brawl he was currently in, and making a beeline for the door. However, he came to a screeching halt when a sword impaled in the wall right next to his head. Slowly turning his head, Gray froze in horror when he saw Erza holding up an unconscious Elfman.

"Where do you think you're going Gray!?" Erza roared, as she dropped Elfman's unconscious form to the ground. The scarlet-haired knight cracked her knuckles as she stalked towards Gray. "Just be a good boy and accept your punishment."

"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed, jumping to her feet to go help the ice mage. But she was stopped when someone grabbed her hand. Turning her head, Juvia saw that it was Natsu who had stopped her. The pink-haired dragon slayer's hand tightly held her wrist, as he slowly shook his head.

"Trust me Juvia, you do not want to get involved with that." Natsu said, as he pulled the girl back behind the table. A sudden piercing scream from Gray caused a shiver to run down Juvia's spine. "See? It's best you just let Erza have her way."

"J-Juvia guesses you're right..." Juvia said, pulling her hat down further onto her head, seemingly trying to hide behind it.

"*Sigh* Guess it's no time for a ballad, eh?" Mirajane said with a soft smile, as she suddenly tore off her leopard print dress, revealing a black tube-top and miniskirt underneath. With a wicked grin, that resembled her former personality, Mirajane let out a wailing guitar riff. "Let's rock the house down then!"

"I guess this place really hasn't changed at all..." Lucy said with a warm smile, gently grabbing ahold of Natsu's hand.

"Yeah...I guess I was wrong to worry." Natsu said, as he gave Lucy's hand a quick squeeze. "But I'm glad this place hasn't changed...because that's what makes it Fairy Tail!"

"Why...Why couldn't just hold off for one day..." Makarov muttered, tightly balling his fists. "You damn brats..." Suddenly Makarov wailed, as tears began to pour from his eyes. "Tomorrow is the day the reporter is supposed to come and collect data on the guild! Why couldn't you all wait until he was gone!?" With low, rumbling growl, Makarov grew into his giant form. "Cut it out you ingrates! Clean this place up now!"

"Oh don't go freaking out on us gramps!" Natsu laughed, as a grin spread across his face. "We're all just letting off some steam!"

"Uh, Natsu..." A new voice caused Natsu to whip his head back around. He was quite surprised to see that Levy was standing next to him. Now it's not that Natsu didn't like Levy, in fact he had to admit he found her rather cute, it's just that they didn't really interact much. Which made it quite surprising to Natsu, that she wanted to talk to him out of the blue. The petite bluenette appeared to be rather nervous, as she rubbed her arm. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure Levy, what do need?" Natsu replied, as he stood back up onto his feet, which caused his him to almost tower over the girl.

"Well you've been doing so much for the guild the past few days...and you fought for me and rest of Team Shadow Gear when Phantom Lord attacked...and I just wanted to say..." Levy said with a bright blush across her face, shocking everyone in the guild when she suddenly leaned forward and gave Natsu a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for being there for us." Her blush darkening several shades, Levy darted out of the guild.

"Did Levy just..." Lucy asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I think she did." Erza said, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Damn it, she beat me to him." Cana muttered underneath her breath, as she took a long swig of her new beer. "I guess I'll have to wait for my chance."

"W-What was that about..." Natsu said with a light blush, touching the spot on his cheek where Levy had kissed him. "She...She didn't have to do that." As Natsu stood in stunned silence, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Glaring at him from across the guild was Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer had a look jealousy in his piercing eyes, as gripped the railing in front of him so hard that it snapped. A smirk spread across Natsu's face, as he locked eyes with Gajeel. _"Now this is interesting." _

* * *

**And done! Now before any of you jump the gun, no Levy won't be joining Natsu's harem. As much as I would love to add her, I would rather still pair her with Gajeel. I love Gajeevy and I don't want to piss off any Gajeevy fans reading this fic, I've already pissed Gruvia shippers off enough. Levy was simply showing Natsu her appreciation for everything he's done for her and the guild. Her actions had no romantic motives behind it. However, that scene did let Natsu know something important about Gajeel, and he will be sure to confront him about it next chapter. The next chapter will pick up immediately where this one left off in the magna. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!), PM me any ideas you have for my fics, and check my profile and my other fics if you haven't already. I'll try to have the next chapter out as soon as possible. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	31. Chapter 31 Confrontations

**Hey guys, I'm back with the first quick update chapter. This new chapter will pick up right where the last one left off in the manga, and will start to get the Battle for Fairy Tail arc. In this chapter we'll also see Natsu confront Gajeel ****about his possible feelings for Levy. This fic has finally passed 800 reviews, is almost at 1,700 followers, and is nearing 1,600 favorites. I want to sincerely thank you all for your continued patience and support, because this fic wouldn't be nearly as popular as it is without all of you. So with that all out of the way, let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.**

* * *

(The Next Day: Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"The guild's as noisy as ever today." Lucy said with a small smile, as she rested her head on her palm, watching her rowdy nakama yell and laugh. "It's just so lively in here."

"Well it can't be helped." Erza said, walking up behind Lucy and resting her hands on her hips. "It's Fairy Tail's spirit after all."

"Ah, it's not so bad." Lucy said, as she turned to face the scarlet-haired knight. The blonde celestial spirit mage was surprised to see that Erza was wearing a brand new set of armor. Lucy was also surprised that Erza wasn't trying to calm everyone down and stop the party. "Hmm, it seems like you've changed ever since we got back from the Tower of Heaven, Erza." A hidden smirk spread across Lucy's face when she noticed Erza unconsciously rubbing her mate mark. _"Heh, I wonder why." _

"Really? I don't feel like I'm doing anything different." Erza said in a confused tone, slightly cocking her head. "Please elaborate Lucy."

"Well before you'd be yelling at everyone to calm down and to be quite." Lucy explained, as she gestured to the partially destroyed guild hall in front of her. Erza's face slightly flushed red in embarassment, as she remembered all the destruction she had caused the previous day. "But now you're joining and partying with us. It's good for us to relax once in a while, you're only young once. Everyone needs to unwind and blow off some steam every now and then."

"Well...I suppose you're right." Erza said, slowly nodding her head. "But I still think I went a little overboard yesterday. I mean Elfman just regained consciousness this morning and Gray will never look at spoons the same way ever again."

"Huh? What did you to Gray with a spoon?" Lucy asked, as she quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"It's best you don't ask." Erza replied in a serious tone, leaning closer to the blonde celestial spirit mage and locking eyes with her. "I mean it Lucy, you don't want to know."

"O-Okay Erza...I won't ask again." Lucy said with an audible gulp, as she slowly leaned away from Erza. "S-So changing the subject...that new armor you're wearing looks pretty cool."

"Why thank you Lucy, this armor is quite comfortable." Erza said with a smile, her tone and mood doing a complete 180. Erza's new armor was more detailed, sporting a breastplate now composed of a single piece of metal, decorated with curved lines and a deformed version of Heart Kreuz's mark. The right arm of the mark's cross extended to armor's right side, with Fairy Tail's mark added under the cross itself, which was now lacking the brand's name. The shoulderguards were also larger and more detailed. The waistguard was now composed of only two elaborated plates hanging from a simple belt over a smaller thinner pair of plates circling her waist. The most visible additions of the new armor were the plated gauntlets extending up to Erza's elbows, which were covered by elbow guards adorned by protruding metal ornaments similar to feathers, and a prominent armored collar circling her neck and leaving the front side open. This collar was made up by protrusions similar to the ones on Erza's elbows. "This armor is actually a brand new design by Heart Kreuz. It was specially designed just for me."

"Well it looks great on you." Lucy said, as she gave Erza's new armor a quick look over. "Although it is kinda weird seeing you wear something so flashy."

"Oh, I'm the flashy one?" Erza asked with a teasing smirk, quirking an eyebrow in amusement. "You're the one who's hair is all done up and is wearing makeup...and those clothes you're wearing." Erza shook her head as she glanced at Lucy's attire, which consisted of a orange blouse that exposed her midriff and a pair of extremely short shorts, that exposed most of the blonde's luscious thighs. "I think you're the one who's trying to catch someone's attention."

"Well that reporter is coming today..." Lucy muttered, as her face began to flush red in embarassment. "And I was really hoping to-"

"OH! IT'S TITANIA ERZA!" A new voice shouted from behind Erza and Lucy. Turning around, both girls were surprised to see a scrawny looking man with dark blonde hair, which was sticking straight up in a single point on his head. The overexcited man was wearing a Fairy Tail t-shirt and had a camera around his neck, as he ran towards both girls. "OH MY GOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S REALLY YOU!" Suddenly the man slide on his knees, coming to a stop right in front of Lucy and Erza. "COOL! COOL! COOOOOOOL! THE REAL ERZA IS SO COOOOL!"

"He's...the reporter from the Weekly Sorcerer?" Lucy asked, pointing to the panting man, who looked like he was about to pass out from sheer excitement. "Is rather...energetic...isn't he?"

"I believe his name is Jason." Erza said whispered to Lucy, just as said man got back onto his feet and rushed over to the scarlet-haired knight. "I see you made it here okay."

"Oh it was no problem." Jason said with a grin, rapidly nodding his head and pulling out a pen and notepad. "Now can I ask you some questions?"

"Hello, my name is Lucy." The blonde celestial spirt mage said with a bright smile, as she extended her hand to Jason. "I'm Erza's friend." However, Lucy's shoulders sank when she saw that she was being completely ignored by the reporter. _"OH COME ON! I got all dolled up for this interview and now he's acting like I don't even exist!"_

"So Erza, how many armors can you re-equip into?" Jason asked, his hands slightly trembling as he prepared to jot down anything the scarlet-haired knight might say.

"Hmmm..." Erza hummed, as she tapped her chin while she thought. "Around two hundred I think, I don't really keep count to be honest."

"SO COOL!" Jason exclaimed, rapidly scribbling notes onto his notepad. "Which one do you like the most!?"

"It's a tie between the Flame and Lightning Empress armors." Erza replied, as a small smile spread across her face.

"THAT'S COOL!" Jason cheered, quickly jotting down several more notes. "Any particular reason you likes those armors over all your others?"

"Yes, there is a special reason that I like those more..." Erza said, as she gave Jason a sly wink. "But that's a secret."

"THAT ANSWER WAS SO COOL!" Jason yelled with a stupid grin, flipping to a new page on his notepad. "Okay, let's move to an easier question. What's your favorite food."

"Ah, that's an easy one." Erza replied, as she closed her eyes and nodded her head. "Strawberry cake is my favorite food by far."

"*Sigh* I guess I did all this for nothing..." Lucy complained, resting her head on her palm as she watched Jason continue to question Erza. However, Lucy perked back up when she saw Jason walk away from Erza and turn his attention to her. The blonde celestial spirit mage smiled and the reporter and waved him over. But Lucy's hopes were quickly dashed when Jason sprinted past her, practically shoving her out of the way in the process.

"IT'S GRAY! I CAN'T BELIVE THE REAL GRAY IS RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES!" Jason exclaimed, as he came to a skidding stop in front of the ice mage's table.

"Damn it...why isn't he paying attention to me?" Lucy muttered, slumping down into the seat next to Erza. The scarlet-haired knight couldn't help but chuckle lightly when Lucy slammed her head onto the table in frustration. "It's not fair."

"Well he's interviewing the most well know members of the guild first." Erza reasoned, just as Mirajane strolled over and set down a tray full of tea and sweets. The scarlet-haired knight's mouth began to water, as she eyed the numerous cakes and deserts Mirajane had baked. "I'm sure he'll get to you eventually."

"That's right Lucy, just be patient." Mirajane said with a smile, taking a seat on the other side of the table. "You'll get your chance to be interviewed."

"I guess you're right...I'll just have to wait my turn I guess." Lucy said, as she released a light sigh. However, as Lucy stared at the white-haired barmaid, she suddenly remembered something. "By the way Mira, weren't you supposed to be performing a song in a few minutes?"

"Oh that, don't worry about it..." Mirajane replied with an innocent smile, dismissively waving off Lucy's question. "Someone asked if they could perform instead of me, and I said it was okay."

"Who is it?" Lucy asked, as she quirked an eyebrow in intrigue.

"I promised I wouldn't tell." Mirajane said with a quick wink, pressing a finger to her lips. "So you won't get any info out of me."

"Fine..." Lucy said with a huff, as she laid her head back down on the table.

"Mira these are delicious." Erza moaned, biting into her fourth piece of strawberry cake. "You'll have to teach me how to makes these sometime."

_"How can she keep eating like that and keep that figure?" _Lucy thought with a frown, as she watched Erza finish her piece of cake and immidiately move on to another one. _"Where does all that cake go-" _Lucy stopped mid-thought when her eyes landed on Erza's breastplate. Despite being covered by armor, Lucy knew the giant globes of flesh that lie hidden underneath. _"Oh, that's where it goes." _

"I'm enjoying your company Mira and love that your brought us snacks..." Erza said in suspicious tone, setting down her fork and quickly wiping her mouth. The scarlet-haired knight's eyes suddenly narrowed, spotting the devious smile on Mirajane's face. "Shouldn't you be getting back to the bar? I'm sure other people are waiting to place orders."

"It's no problem." Mirajane said, as she cocked her head, her smile widening. "I got someone to fill in for me for a little bit. So I have some time to spare."

"Okay Mira, what do you want?" Erza asked, pushing her half-eaten piece of cake away. "We've been friends for years, so I can spot most of your little tricks. You obviously brought these sweets to butter me up."

"Oh? Whatever do you mean Erza?" Mirajane asked in an innocent tone, as she pouted cutely. "I would never do something like that, and I'm a little offended that you'd accuse me of such a thing."

"Okay Mira drop the act already..." Erza said with a hint of annoyance, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm not really in the mood to play your games right now. You obviously want something so just out with it already."

"You're no fun Erza!" Mirajane huffed, as she crossed her arms underneath her impressive bust. "Hmph! At least Natsu plays with me a little." Mirajane's devious smile soon returned, as she began to tap her chin. "Speaking of Natsu...your hair looks quite different Erza."

"Ah, I see what this about now." Erza said, leaning forward and resting her head on her hand. "You want the details of my first time with Natsu."

"Is it that obvious?" Mirajane asked with a smirk, as leaned towards Erza in anticipation. "So, will you spill the beans? I'm dying to find out, especially after Lucy told me all about her 'special' time with Natsu."

"You told Mira about that?" Erza asked the blonde next to her in a surprised tone. "Huh, I didn't know you were that type of girl Lucy."

"Hey, I'm not some floozy who goes around and brags about all the guys she bangs." Lucy said in a slightly offended tone, her face burning a light shade of red. "I only told Mira because she's the one who helped me get with Natsu in the first place. Without her encouragement I wouldn't be together with him."

"That's right Mira..." Erza said, as she turned attention back to the white-haired barmaid. "You're the one came up with this whole little 'harem' situation Natsu has going on right now. I must say I don't appreciate you scheming behind my back."

"Well you know how you can be Erza..." Mirajane said, leaning back away from the scarlet-haired knight. "If you had gotten with Natsu first, then you would have most likely hogged him all to yourself. You can be quite possessive, so I figured the that only way for Lucy and I to have a chance was to somehow be with him first. That would force you to be open to the idea of sharing Natsu, or lose him forever." Erza's face started to turn red in embarassment, because she knew that the things that Mirajane was saying were true. "Besides Natsu was raised by two dragon kings, so he's destined to be several girls. It's not something he can really control."

"I guess you're right." Erza said, as her irritation began to ween. "I will admit that I'm not too thrilled about the idea of sharing Natsu with other girls, but my time spent with Lucy has begun to change my mind. I feel closer with her now more than ever, and I know it's because we're both Natsu's mates. So, I guess I can get used to Natsu being with multiple girls."

"Well that's good, because I plan on making my move soon. Can't let you two have Natsu all to yourselves." Mirajane said in sly tone, a devious smirk returning to her face. "So Erza, you gonna tell me about your first time with Natsu or not?"

"*Sigh* You just don't know when to quite, do you?" Erza muttered, as closed her eyes and took a calming breath. When Erza's reopened her eyes, they were half-lidded and teasing, a small smile gracing her face. "Fine Mira I'll tell you...but not about my first time with Natsu." The white-haired barmaid quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "I'll tell you about my first 'six' times with Natsu."

"I'm listening..." Mirajane said, leaning closer to Erza, the scarlet-haired knight now getting her full attention.

* * *

(Across the Guild Hall: With Gray and Juvia)

"Oi, who are you?" Gray asked the hyperactive man, who had just stormed over to his table.

"Remember what master said yesterday, Gray-sama?" Juvia said, as she smiled brightly at Jason. "He must be the reporter from the Weekly Sorcerer."

_"Oh great, now there's two annoyances at this table." _Gray thought, releasing a long sigh.

"WHOA! IT CAN'T BE!" Jason shouted, his eyes shooting widen open in excitement when he spotted the blue-haired water mage. "YOU'RE JUVIA! I THOUGHT YOU WERE WITH PHANTOM LORD! BUT NOW YOU'RE WITH FAIRY TAIL! COOL!"

"Yes, Juvia was once a member of Phantom Lord." Juvia explained, as her pale white cheeks began to flush red. "But after reuniting with an old friend and meeting someone special, Juvia decided it was best for her to leave Phantom Lord and join Fairy Tail."

"OH!" Jason exclaimed, erratically scribbling down notes onto his notepad. "A possible love triangle?! This will definitely spice up the next issue!"

"Wait! Juvia didn't-"

"Gray!" Jason shouted, as he pointed at the peeved ice mage. "Why are you always undressing?"

"I don't!" Gray replied in an irritated tone, standing up from his seat. Jason and Juvia's eyes were both draw downwards, spotting that Gray had already removed his pants. "So don't go calling me a pervert or some shit!"

"G-Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed with a massive blush, as she frantically pointing to the ice mage's lower body; doing her best to avert her gaze. "Y-Your underwear is showing!"

"AH!" Gray yelled in surprise, immediately sitting back down in his seat to hide his lower half. "Why does this keep happening!?"

"OH MY GOD!" Jason suddenly cheered, as he spotted a pink-haired man walking across the guild hall. "IT'S REALLY HIM!"

* * *

(Back with Lucy, Mirajane and Erza)

"Oh my God Erza..." Mirajane said, panting slightly as she fanned herself with her hand. "Those were some really steamy details. I seriously wasn't expecting you to go so...in depth."

"Well you wanted to know all the details..." Erza said with a sly smirk, as she flipped some scarlet and pink locks out of her eyes. "And I always aim to please."

"Heh, you sure do." Mirajane said with a smirk of her own, leaning towards the scarlet-haired knight. "So can I see it?"

"See what?" Erza teased, fully knowing what the white-haired barmaid was referring to.

"Don't play stupid with me Erza, you know what I'm talking about." Mirajane said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "If you don't show me I'll start to get upset."

"Alright, alright. I was just getting back at you for earlier." Erza said, as she unequipped her armor and moving some of her hair to the side. "You wanted to see this, right?" Pulling down her collar, Erza revealed her mate mark to Mirajane. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"It's so intricate...just like Lucy's mark." Mirajane said in awe, faintly tracing the mate mark's lines with her finger tip; causing a shiver of pleasure to run down Erza's spine. "The design is simply beautiful, and I can feel a faint warmth emanating from it." Releasing a light sigh, Mirajane leaned back away from Erza. "Man, I can't wait to get my own mark."

"Don't worry Mira, I'm sure you won't have to wait much longer." Lucy reassured the white-haired barmaid with a small smile. "If Natsu felt a connection to Erza and I, I'm sure he felt one to you as well. He's probably just waiting for the right time."

"You're right Lucy, thanks for that." Mirajane said, as she flashed Lucy a smile of her own. "But a girl can only wait so long before she starts to get impatient, you know?"

"Trust Mira, Natsu is worth the wait." Lucy said, patting the top of Mirajane's hand.

"You bet your ass he is." Erza said with a grin, as she re-equipped her armor.

"Huh, speak of the devil." Mirajane said suddenly, spotting a familiar pink-haired dragon slayer walking towards them. "Here comes Natsu right now."

"Hey girls!" Natsu exclaimed with a toothy grin, as he waved to the girls. "How are you all?!"

"Hey Natsu!" All three girls chimed simultaneously, smiling at the man they loved.

"What brings you over here Natsu?" Mirajane asked, as she cocked her head slightly. "Normally you'd be rushing to pick a job, and practically pushing Lucy and Erza out the door."

"I actually wanted to ask you guys something." Natsu replied, placing his hands on the table and leaning towards the girls. "Have any of you seen Gajeel anywhere? I wanted to talk with him about something."

"Actually Natsu, Gajeel is-"

"COOL!" Mirajane was cut off when Jason ran up to the table and practically tackled Natsu. "YOU'RE NATSU DRAGNEEL! THE SALAMANDER OF FAIRY TAIL THAT I WANTED TO SEE THE MOST!"

"Oi, wait a second..." Natsu said with narrowed eyes, as he looked at Jason from head to toe. Suddenly the dual dragon slayer's eyes shot open in realization. "You're that damn reporter from the Weekly Sorcerer!" Natsu grabbed Jason by the collar and lifted him into the air, which only seemed to excite the reporter even more. "You've been ruining my reputation you bastard!"

"You tend to do that on your own Natsu." Erza muttered, releasing a light sigh.

"You're always reporting that I destroyed this, and demolished that!" Natsu growled, continuing to glare at Jason. "I mean just a few weeks ago you said I trashed all of Hargeon!"

"But didn't you!?" Jason asked, which caused Natsu to huff in irritation.

"NO! I destroyed the port! And only the port! Not the entire town!" Natsu exclaimed, causing the three girls next to him to sweatdrop. "Get your facts straight next time!"

"COOL! COOL! COOL!" Jason cheered, as he rapidly scribbled down a series of notes. "I'LL MAKE SURE TO DO THAT NEXT TIME!"

"Good." Natsu said, setting Jason back down onto the ground. "Cause I don't like people spreading stupid rumors about me."

"Natsu, would it be cool with you if I shook your hand!?" Jason asked, as he extended his hand to the dual dragon slayer.

"Uh, sure thing." Natsu said, taking ahold of Jason's hand and shaking it. However, a devilish smirk soon spread across Natsu's face. "Careful, people sometimes say my handshakes are quite...shocking." Without warning, Natsu charged his hand with lightning, sending powerful jolts of electricity into Jason's body.

"C-C-C-C-COOOOL!" Jason exclaimed, as his entire body began to spasm from the lighting flowing into his body. When Natsu released his hand, Jason collapsed to the ground, still twitching slightly. "T-That was the most e-electrifying handshake I've ever experienced! You're too c-cool N-Natsu! A real h-hero!" With great effort Jason pulled out his notepad once again and jotted down some more notes. "I'm totally writing this down."

"Man he's really dedicated." Lucy said, getting out of her seat and crouching down next to Jason. "Uh...Mr. Reporter...do you any questions to ask me?"

Jason stared at Lucy with wide eyes for a few moments, before he suddenly darted past the blonde celestial spirit mage. "ELFMAN! SO COOL!"

"Damn it." Lucy sighed, as she leaned against a nearby wall in disappointment.

"Don't give up Luce." Natsu said with a grin, patting his mate on the shoulder. "If you keep at it, I'm sure that reporter will interview you."

"You're right!" Lucy exclaimed, as she perked back up; Natsu's words causing a fiery determination to burn within her. "I'll give it my all!"

"Then go get him!" Natsu cheered, giving Lucy a gentle slap on the back.

"I'm getting that damn interview!" Lucy yelled, as she stormed after Jason. By the time Lucy caught up with the reporter, he was already interviewing Elfman.

"What is manly to you?" Jason asked, pen ready to write down anything Elfman said.

"That's a manly question." Elfman replied with a smirk.

"How can such a lame conversation be more important than me!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she reached out to tap Jason's shoulder. "Excuse Mr. Re-" But before Lucy could even finish, Jason had already moved on to someone else.

"CANA! I totally need to get a picture of you this time!" Jason cheered, quickly snapping a pick of the lush brunette.

"HAHA! I like your energy man!" Cana said with a grin, as she patted the seat next to her. "Why don't you sit down and have a drink with me?"

_"You're not getting away this time!" _Lucy thought, finally catching up to Jason. But when the blonde celestial spirit mage stopped for a moment to compose herself, the reporter had taken off once again. Seeing that Jason had eluded her once again, Lucy stomped her foot in frustration. _"GOD DAMN IT!" _

"OH! TEAM SHADOW GEAR! COOL! Is it true that you guys have a love triangle going on?" Jason asked, which caused Levy to quirk an eyebrow in confusion.

"Huh? What are you-"

"No comments!" Jet and Droy cut Levy off simultaneously, both men having fierce blushes spread across their faces.

"WHOA! Master Makarov!" Jason cheered, as he slide up next to Fairy Tail's guild master. "Can you give me a new guild ambition please!?"

"Hmm..." Makarov hummed, stroking his chin while he thought. "To let love and justice fill people's minds."

"Something smells like bullshit..." Lucy said, as she scrunched her nose and crossed her arms underneath her chest. "Alright that's it." Huffing in irritation, Lucy stormed off to a nearby changing room. "Sorry Natsu, but I'm going to get this guy to notice me and you did tell me to give it my all." Slipping into the small changing room, Lucy smirked when she spotted the perfect outfit. "Oh, this will definitely get his attention." A few minutes later Lucy stepped out of the dressing room, now dressed in a very revealing bunny girl outfit. With a massive blush spreading across her face, Lucy made her way onto the main stage. _"God this is so __embarrassing! But I'm getting that interview damn it! Alright..." _Lucy took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, before a bright smile spread across her face. "Hey everyone, look over here!" Instantly, all eyes in the guild were on Lucy; everyone shocked to see what Lucy was wearing. But none of them were more shocked then Natsu, the dragon slayer spitting out his drink when he saw his mate so scantily dressed in front of so many people. "I'm gonna sing you all a song now!"

"LUCY?!"

"HUH!?"

"A BUNNY GIRL!?"

"I knew Lucy could be bold, but..." Erza said, as she stared at the blonde celestial spirit mage in shock.

"Natsu...are you okay?" Mirajane asked, knowing how the dual dragon slayer normally reacted when people flirted with or ogled his mates.

"I'm...okay...I'm alright..." Natsu muttered, his brow twitching as he took rapid breaths to calm himself. The pink-haired dragon slayer could practically feeling everyone mentally undressing Lucy, his girl, and it was making his skin crawl. _"I know I told her to go all out and get that reporter's attention, but this is going too far! I feel like I'm gonna explode right now!" _

_"Heh, I knew the bunny girl costume would be popular." _Lucy thought with a smirk, as she gazed at her awestruck nakama. Suddenly all the lights in the guild went out, something that Lucy hadn't planned on. _"What's going on now!?" _Out of nowhere pure white curtains dropped down on the stage behind Lucy.

"What?! What?!"

"Is that Mira-chan!?"

"Is she going to sing too!?"

"Oh no." Mirajane said, hiding her face in her hand. "I totally forgot."

"Forgot about what?" Natsu asked, as he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. Suddenly the white curtains moved away, revealing Gajeel sitting on the stage in a white suit and hat, with sunglasses covering his eyes and a guitar in his hands. Lucy stood beside Gajeel, staring at the iron dragon slayer in utter shock.

"GAJEEL!?"

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"BWAHAHAHA!" Natsu laughed uproariously, slapping his hand onto the table. "What's with that getup man!? I'm dying!"

"There aren't many things that can entertain me~" Gajeel sang, as he began to strum his guitar.

"HAHAHA! He's singing too!" Natsu bellowed, now on the floor rolling in laughter; tears forming in his eyes. "HAHAHA! I can't take it! Someone stop him before I die!"

"I was a stray wolf, but now I'm accepted by you guys, then I should get closer to you~" Gajeel continued to sing, as his fellow guild members stared at him awkwardly. "Even though we were enemies before, now we're friends~"

"H-Huh, his singing voice may be a little off, but his lyrics aren't bad." Gray said, a shudder running down his spine.

"Do you best Gajeel-kun!" Juvia cheered with a large smile, as she clapped her hands.

"Yeah, give it your best!" Natsu parroted, slowly getting up off the floor, his boisterous laughing changing to barely contained giggles.

"Natsu, be nice to Gajeel-kun." Juvia said with a frown, as she gently slapped the pink-haired dragon slayer in the arm. "He's trying to closer to everyone."

"I got that Juvia." Natsu said, taking a breath to calm himself and wiping the tears that had formed in his eyes. "I already accept Gajeel, so he didn't have to do this to earn my trust. But you gotta admit this is fucking gold."

"You...already accept Gajeel-kun?" Juvia repeated, as her eyes widened in surprise. "After all he did to your guild and nakama...you'd trust him so easily?"

"What I said the other day didn't convince you?" Natsu asked, a small smile spreading across his face. "I know Gajeel isn't really a bad guy, he can just be a total ass sometimes, so he doesn't have to prove himself to me. Although I can't really forgive him for trashing the guild and hurting my nakama, especially Luce, but I still want to try and be friends with him. I'm sure everyone will come around eventually as well, you just have to be patient with them."

"Thank you for being so kind to Gajeel-kun." Juvia said, as she clutched a hand over heart. "He always has such a tough time making friends...Juvia always saw Gajeel-kun all alone."

"I promise that won't happen here Juvia." Natsu reassured the water mage, wrapping an arm around Juvia's shoulders and pulling her close, which caused a massive blush to spread across Juvia's face; Natsu's warmth completely covering her body. "Fairy Tail members always look out for their nakama."

"O-Okay, J-Juvia will trust you." Juvia stuttered out, as she scooted a little closer to the pink-haired dragon slayer.

"Oi everyone, listen up." Gajeel announced, continuing to strum his guitar as he spoke. "This is a song I wrote called, _Best Friend._" Adjusting his white hat, Gajeel leaned closer to the microphone. "Colorful, colorful shooby doo bop~! The melody of love, metallic blue~! Dou dou dou shalala~!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE SINGING!?"

"GAH! MY EARS!"

"STOP!"

"Alright, Juvia will admit it's kinda funny." Juvia said, using her hand to help suppress her giggles. "*Giggle* Give it your best Gajeel-kun!"

"I bite those honey tightly~" Gajeel sang, before he turned his head away from the microphone and spoke to Lucy. "Oi bunny girl, be my dancer."

"*Sigh* I'm already up here." Lucy said in a dejected tone, starting to half-heartedly dance next to Gajeel.

"COOOOOL!" Jason exclaimed, as he began to snap pictures of Lucy and Gajeel. "The absurdity is off the charts! This has to be the hit song of the year!"

"Shooby doo bop~!" Gajeel sang, dodging a bottle that was thrown at his head.

"What the hell is shooby doo bop anyways!?"

"For the love of God someone stop this guy!"

"COOOOOOLLLLLL!" Jason cheered, as he ran onto the stage and slide up next to Lucy. "Fairy Tail is the best!" The reporter then got back onto his feet and turned to the blonde celestial spirit mage. "Excuse me, but could I bother you for an interview!?"

"Of course!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes lightning up in joy. "Let me just go get changed real quick, and I'll answer any questions you have!"

"COOL!" Jason yelled, as he pointed towards the bar. "When you're ready come meet me over by the bar!"

_"YES! I did it!" _Lucy cheered in her head, sprinting to the changing room with a triumphant smile on her face. While Lucy prepared for her interview, Gajeel remained on stage singing his song; much to the irritation of his fellow guild members.

"Come on man!"

"Get off the stage!"

"Stop singing already!"

"Nah! Keep it up Gajeel!" Natsu shouted, before he began to laugh boisterously. "You're singing is the best man! HAHAHA!"

"Oi! Shut the hell up Salamander! You're ruining my song!" Gajeel roared, as he hurled his guitar at Natsu. But to Gajeel's surprise, the pink-haired dragon slayer easily caught the instrument.

"Huh, this is actually a pretty sweet guitar." Natsu said, turning the instrument over and inspecting it. "It's almost as nice as Mira's. Too bad I don't know how to play."

"If you're done ogling my guitar, I'd like it back." Gajeel said, as he held out his hand and beckoned Natsu to return the instrument. "That thing was really expensive."

"Why don't you get off your lazy ass and come get it?" Natsu asked with a mischievous smirk, plucking a few of the guitar's strings. "You were the one who threw this thing at me in the first place."

"Tch, fine." Gajeel grunted, as he hopped off the stage and walked over to the dual dragon slayer. "Alright Salamander, give it back."

"Sure thing." Natsu said, holding out the guitar. But when Gajeel reached for the instrument, Natsu pulled it back. "On second thought, not just yet."

"Don't start screwing with me Salamander." Gajeel growled, as he glared at Natsu. "I ain't in the mood for games."

"I'll give your guitar back..." Natsu said, pointing towards a secluded section of the guild hall. "But after we've have a quick talk...in private."

Gajeel's blood red eyes narrowed dangerously, as he stared Natsu down. After several moments, Gajeel saw that the dual dragon likely wasn't going to try any tricks. "*Sigh* Okay, I can talk for a minute, but don't go trying any weird shit."

"I just want to ask you a question." Natsu said, leading Gajeel over towards the back corner of the guild hall. Once Natsu was sure that no one was listening in on them he spoke up. "Okay Gajeel I'm just gonna be blunt and ask you straight up...is Levy your mate?" Gajeel's immediate reaction made Natsu realize that he had hit the nail on the head. The iron dragon slayer's face had quickly flushed red and he began to stammer.

"W-What the hell are you t-talking about Salamander!?" Gajeel hissed, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "There's no way that shrimp would be my mate."

"Are you sure?" Natsu asked, becoming quite amused by Gajeel's flustered state. "Because I'm pretty sure I saw you getting really jealous when Levy kissed me on the cheek the other day."

"Tch, you must be seeing things." Gajeel replied, as he turned his head away from Natsu.

"Oh, if that's the case then I guess you won't mind if try to take her as one of my mates." Natsu said, deciding to give Gajeel a little push and see if he could get some sort of reaction. "I've actually-" Natsu was cut off when Gajeel suddenly grabbed him by the vest and slammed him into the wall. The dual dragon slayer was expecting Gajeel to get upset, but he wasn't prepared for this type of reaction. After being momentarily caught of guard, Natsu regained his composure. "What's up Gajeel?"

"Stay the hell away from Levy." Gajeel growled, as he bared his fangs. "She's mine."

"Is that so?" Natsu asked with a smirk, locking eyes with the iron dragon slayer. "I thought you just said Levy wasn't your mate? So why should you care if I make her one of mine?"

"I-I...well...you see..." Gajeel stammered, as he realized he had been backed into a corner. "I just...shit..."

"Gajeel, put me down." Natsu said with a small smile, the iron dragon slayer quickly doing as he was told. "Now calm down. I wasn't serious about making Levy one of my mates." Natsu had to suppress a giggle when he saw a wave of relief wash over Gajeel. "I just wanted to see how you'd react."

"That was a dirty trick Salamander." Gajeel muttered, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well I guess you caught me."

"When did you realize she was your mate?" Natsu asked, leaning against the wall next to Gajeel. "It must have been after...you know..."

"Yeah it was after...that." Gajeel replied, as he tightly balled his fists. "After you kicked the shit out of me...and I had some time to think...I couldn't seem to get her out of my head. I guess some part of me realized that she was the one. She was all I could think about...and I started to feel like trash for all the awful things I did to her."

"The reason you couldn't stop thinking about Levy is probably your dragon instincts letting you know that she is your mate...and the reason you feel like shit is because you hurt your mate. Normal dragons have a single mate for life. Their mate is usually determined at first sight...and you hurt the one person you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with." Natsu explained, causing Gajeel to hang his head in shame. "My situation is a little different because I was raised by two dragon kings. My magic subconsciously picks several mates for me to ensure that it will passed down to future generations of dragon slayers."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do now?" Gajeel asked, before he released a heavy sigh. "Levy probably hates my guts right now."

"She doesn't hate you Gajeel...no in Fairy Tail hates you. Yeah sure, some of the other guild members may be pissed at you for what you did, but I can guarantee they don't hate you." Natsu said, making Gajeel lift his head back up. "If anything Levy is just scared of you right now. All you have to do is prove to her that she doesn't have to fear you anymore. You just need to talk with her, and spend some time with her, but don't be too pushy."

"How the hell am I going to face her though?" Gajeel asked, as he locked eyes with Natsu once again. "I did something truly awful to her."

"You just have to man up and apologize to her face-to-face." Natsu said, placing a hand on Gajeel's shoulder. "It's going to take time for you to earn Levy's trust, and even longer to win her heart. But if you're serious about making Levy your mate you can't give up." Natsu suddenly patted Gajeel's shoulder and began to walk away. "You just have to go for it Gajeel. I believe in you can do it."

"I just have to go for it, eh?" Gajeel muttered, as he spotted Levy across the guild hall. The petite bluenette had a smile on her face as she flipped through a book. Gajeel's heart seemed to beat just a little bit faster as he gazed at her. "Maybe Salamander is right."

* * *

**And done! I know this was a shorter chapter, but I felt this was a good stopping point. Next chapter will finally reintroduce Laxus and really get this arc underway. This chapter also got the Gajeevy relationship started, but don't expect anything to happen between them for quite a while. Just like Natsu said, it's going to take Gajeel quite a while to win Levy's heart. But I also plan on advancing their relationship more in this fic more than in the canon story. I should hopefully have the next chapter out soon, and it will be the last quick update chapter for now. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK, PM me any ideas you have for my fics, and check out my profile and other fics if you haven't. Well that's all I wanted to say. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	32. Chapter 32 Battle for Fairy Tail Begins!

**Hey guys, I'm back with the final quick update chapter for now. This chapter will reintroduce Laxus and really get the Battle for Fairy Tail arc under way. Also in this chapter we'll see Gajeel start to take some small steps in advancing his relationship with Levy. Thank you all for your kind words, continued support and patience. Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.**

* * *

(Two Days Later: King's Bar Just South of Magnolia Town)

"BWAHAHAHA!" A thug laughed boisterously, showing the new issue of the Weekly Sorcerer to his buddies. "Look at this guys!"

"HA! Fairy Tail is such an embarassment!" Another thug exclaimed, as he pointed to an article about a mage named Gray Fullbuster. "Look at this idiot! He's completely naked in this picture!"

"Tch, how can these idiots be so popular?" The third thug at the table asked, quickly skimming through the various articles and pictures. "They all seem like a bunch of drunk fools."

"Why would they have a pool inside they're guild, that's so stupid!" The first thug laughed, as he slapped his hand onto the table.

"Check out this guy Natsu Dragneel guy! He sounds so pathetic!" The second thug yelled, handing the magazine back to his friends. "It says here that he trashed all of Hargeon's port!"

As the thugs continued to laugh and berate Fairy Tail, they failed to notice the menacing presence approaching behind them. The first thug was about to comment on an article about a mage named Lucy, but he stopped when an imposing shadow covered the entire table.

"Ah! What the hell do-" The first thug stopped mid-sentence when he saw a large blonde-haired man with a lightning-shaped scar along his right eye towering over him. The thug's eyes shot wide open in fear when he immidiately recognized who the menacing man was. "O-Oh shit...b-book it guys! That's Fairy Tail's Laxus!"

"Oh fuck!" The other two thugs yelled simultaneously, as they bolted out of the bar right behind their friend.

"Why is he in a dive bar like this?!"

"W-Who cares! Let's just get out of here!"

"Tch, stupid weaklings." Laxus muttered, spotting the copy of the Weekly Sorcerer that the thugs had dropped. The large blonde-haired man glared at the magazine with barely disguised irritation. "Good job showing off those embarrassing stunts Jii-chan."

"Yahoo! HAHAHA!" A sudden laughing caused Laxus to turn large ape-like man sitting near the back of the bar. "You must be a real celebrity, clearing out the bar with a single glare. You've got some serious presence man! You're master Makarov's grandson, aren't cha?" The ape-like man laughed as he pointed to the issue of the Weekly Sorcerer lying on the ground. "What do you think of that? Are you proud of your grandpappy? Cause that shit is pretty pathetic if you ask me." The ape-like man smirked when Laxus shot him an annoyed glare. "Oho, how scary!"

"Zod...please start any trouble today." The bartender said weakly, as everyone else in the bar turned to watch what might unfold.

"Don't worry, there's no point in picking a fight with such a worthless guild." Zod laughed, slapping his hand onto his knee.

"Zod?" Laxus said in an amused tone, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Never heard that name before."

"Really...that's a shame." Zod said, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. "But that's probably because we usually operate in the shadows. Not like you fools, acting like a bunch of idiots in magazines."

"Oh, it seems to me that you want to die today." Laxus said in a menacing tone, as lighting began to crackle off his body. "I'd love to give you hand with that."

"P-Please sir! Please let t-this go! Zod is-"

"Let's go outside buddy." Laxus said, beckoning Zod towards the door. "I don't want to get your blood all over this guy's bar."

"Yahoo. The one going outside..." Zod said, as he suddenly cocked his fist back and tried to sucker punch Laxus. "Is-" However, Zod was shocked when his attack was easily stopped by Laxus. The large blonde-haired man was expecting a sneak attack and had caught Zod's fist. The ape-like man hissed in pain, as Laxus slowly began to crush his hand.

"You know, I really don't guys like you who fight dirty." Laxus said in a menacing tone, starting to apply some electricity into his grip. The bar was soon filled with sounds of Zod's screams of agony. Then all the onlookers winced when they heard the sickening sound of all the bone's in Zod's hand breaking. The pain was so intense that it caused Zod to fall onto his knees.

"P-P-P-Please m-m-man!" Zod struggled to say through the pain and electricity coursing through his body. "J-J-J-Just l-let me g-go! I-I-I b-beg you!"

"Oh, you're begging now?" Laxus asked in amused tone, crouching down in front of Zod. "But you were acting really tough a second ago. I guess that was all just an act." Laxus suddenly increased the amount of electricity he was pumping into Zod, causing the ape-like man to howl in pain. Then in an amazing display of strength, Laxus lifted Zod into the air and slammed him into the ground. Laxus smashed Zod into the ground so hard that the ape-like man crashed through the wooden floor into the basement below. "Tch, punks like you should learn to keep their big mouths shut."

"H-Holy shit..."

"He defeated Zod so easily..."

"No way..."

"Who the hell is that guy?"

"Pathetic." Laxus muttered, balling his fists in rage; veins bulging along his arms and forehead. "Since when did people look down upon my guild...old man!" Growling in irritation Laxus stormed out of the bar, lightning sparking off his body.

* * *

(The Next Morning: Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"Hmmm..." Lucy hummed, as she scanned over all the available quests on the board. "Is there anything on here that I could handle by myself?"

"By yourself?" Nab asked, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. "You're not going with Natsu, Erza and the others?"

"Unfortunately not this time..." Lucy replied, as she grabbed a request and started to read it over. Not liking the details, she put the paper back onto the board. "Gray and Juvia were assigned a mission by master. Erza said she had some problems with her new armor. *Sigh* And Natsu..." Lucy was cut of by a long, pained groan from a nearby table. Turning around, the blonde celestial spirit mage spotted Natsu slumped over at the table he was sitting at; Happy by his side trying to entice him with a lit torch.

"C'mon Natsu!" Happy cheered, pushing a burning stick closer to the dual dragon slayer. "It's fire! You want to eat it?"

"I've got no appetite buddy..." Natsu muttered weakly, as he clutched a hand over his stomach. "My stomach is doing fucking backflips right now."

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Nab asked, gesturing to the pink-haired dragon slayer.

"I think he's finally starting to feel the effects of eating **Etherion**." Lucy replied, as she gazed at her mate with a hint of worry in her eyes. "He's been like this the past few days... Erza and I have tried to nurse him, but nothing seems to be working. When Natsu ate **Etherion** it was basically like eating poison...his body must be just starting to react to it."

"Ah, so that's why he can't take any jobs..." Nab muttered, rubbing his chin. "That's a shame...you guys always looked so happy going on missions together."

"Yeah, it really is fun." Lucy said with a small smile, before she released a light sigh. "But I have to find a job quick, because if I don't I won't be able to pay my rent this month. Do you think you could help me Nab?"

"Sorry Lucy, no can do." Nab replied, shaking his head. "I'm looking for some solo jobs as well."

"I see..." Lucy muttered, as she turned her attention back to the request board. "Now let's see what we have here...a monster hunter...no way I could do that by myself...hmmm, a treasure hunt...no way, that won't be any fun by myself...OH! Teaching at a magic school for kids...that sounds perfect for me!" But when Lucy reached out to take to request, she was surprised when someone grabbed it before her. Turning around, Lucy was surprised to see that it was Gajeel who had snatched the request from her. Overcoming her initial surprise, Lucy huffed in annoyance and placed her hands on her hips. "Hey wait a minute Gajeel! I saw that first!"

"Too bad, I've already taken it." Gajeel said, as he barely payed attention to Lucy. "Find some other job."

"Can you even handle a job like that?!" Lucy questioned, slightly glaring at the iron dragon slayer. "Because you don't like you'd be very good with kids."

"Oi, listen here bunny girl." Gajeel growled in a frustrated tone, as he met Lucy's glare with one of his own. "What missions I choose are none of your damn business. I don't care if you're Salamander's mate, if you don't back down now I will kick your ass."

"W-What?!" Lucy squeaked in shocked, her face burning a dark shade of red. "H-How do you know about Natsu and I?!"

"Are you joking?" Gajeel asked in a disgusted tone, as he slung his pack over his shoulder. "I don't think you and that knight could be making it more obvious. Anyone who knows anything about dragon slayers could tell. Your hair is a dead giveaway and you're not really trying to hide that mark on your neck." Lucy's face darkened even further in embarassment, as she placed a hand over her mate mark. "Plus...you absolutely reek of Salamander's scent..." Gajeel made a face of disgust and wrinkled his nose. "It's all over you and the knight...it's pretty fucking nasty. You guys must be humping like damned rabbits in heat or something." Steam was practically blowing out of Lucy's ears, the blonde celestial spirit mage sputtering and twiddling her thumbs. "Now if that's all, I really need to get going."

"H-Hey!" Lucy exclaimed, shaking her head and snapping out of her embarrassed stupor. The blonde celestial spirit mage growled in irritation and stomped her foot repeatedly. "What about my job?! That's totally not fair!"

"Tch, he's such an arrogant bastard." Jet said, as he glared at Gajeel.

"Yeah, I can't stand him." Droy said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Someone needs to teach that guy a lesson."

"He really is scary." Levy muttered, as she poked her head out from behind a pillar. "Lu-chan really is brave to talk to him like that."

"Oi Natsu!" Lucy yelled, violently shaking her mate to try and wake him up. "Why didn't you say anything to that dick!? Go and kick Gajeel's ass!"

"Gajeel!" Natsu exclaimed weakly, as he struggled to raise his head off the table. "When you get back...I'm kicking the shit out of you for being mean to Luce!"

"He's already gone Natsu." Lucy said with a sweatdrop, gently rubbing her mate's back. "Well at least you tried."

"Let's go home Happy. I really feel like shit." Natsu muttered, as he slowly got out of his seat.

"Wait a second Natsu, let's take a job together! Please!" Lucy said, grabbing ahold of Natsu's scarf to stop him. "I need your help to make rent!" However, Natsu was so out of it that he barely heard Lucy. The dual dragon slayer continued to walk forward, his scarf unwrapping from around his neck.

"Bye Luce..." Natsu said with a yawn, as he waved to the blonde celestial spirit mage. "I'm gonna go lie down for a bit."

"W-What!?" Lucy yelled, sitting on the ground with Natsu's scarf in her hands. "Oh come on!"

* * *

(Five Minutes Later: Magnolia Park)

"*Sigh* Why did you guys call me out here?" Gajeel asked in an annoyed tone, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I've got a damn job to do, so make this quick."

"Job? This coming from the guy who completely trashed our guild." Jet growled, glaring daggers at the iron dragon slayer.

"You couldn't go to any other guild to get missions?" Droy asked, as he tightly balled his fists in anger. "Do you have any shame?!"

"Man you guys really can hold a grudge. Can't you guys just let that shit go and move on?" Gajeel asked, slowly shaking his head. "I'm trying to put what I did behind me and move forward with my life."

"Jet, Droy...please don't do this..." Levy said meekly, as she poked her out from behind a nearby tree. "I'm over it, really..."

"Levy..." Gajeel breathed out, feeling an ache in his chest when he frightened look in her eyes. _"Shit...she really is scared of me now." _

_"You just have to man up and apologize to her face-to-face. You just have to go for it Gajeel. I believe that you can do it." _

Natsu's words rang loud and clear through Gajeel's mind. The iron dragon slayer tightly clenched his fists and took a deep breath to calm himself. _"Alright, I just have to face her. I can't back down now." _Making up his mind, Gajeel began to walk towards Levy, but he was stopped when Jet and Droy stood in his way. "Would you two please move it? I've got something I need to say to the shrimp. Then you guys hassle me all you want."

"No fucking way." Jet snarled, as he shoved Gajeel back. "After what you did, we're not letting you anywhere near Levy."

"Yeah, get any closer and we're gonna have a real problem." Droy said, reaching to grab his sends.

"Please..." Gajeel said, as he took a step towards Levy. "I just need to say one thing. Give me a min-" Gajeel was cut off when he suddenly had to block an insanely fast attack from Jet.

"WE SAID STAY BACK YOU BASTARD!" Jet roared, taking another swing at Gajeel, which the iron dragon slayer barely managed to deflect with his arm.

"**SEED**!" Droy exclaimed, as he threw out a handful of his seeds. "**Knuckle Plant**!" Droy's seeds instantly sprouted into dozens of fist-shaped vines. Gajeel was too busy handling Jet, so he was caught off guard by Droy's attack; the plants hitting him up into the air.

"**Wing Strike**!" Leaping into the air above Gajeel, Jet slammed his elbow into the iron dragon slayer's back, sending him crashing into the ground. Levy watched the entire scene unfold, and despite everything Gajeel had did to her, she had to admit that she was worried about him. As Gajeel struggled to get back onto his feet, Jet and Droy stalked towards him. "Oi! What's up with you!?"

"That can't be everything you've got." Droy said, not noticing that the air was filling with electricity. "You were way tougher the last time we fought you."

"You being bullied, huh?" A new voice said from behind Jet and Droy. Turning around, both men were surprised to see Laxus towering over them. "So...this is the punk who demolished my guild. And that old bastard, he let you join our guild for some stupid reason?" Laxus suddenly growled, as a massive amount of lightning sparked off his body. "It's because of shit like this that we're looked down upon! Damn it!" Gajeel howled in pain, as an extremely powerful bolt of lightning struck his body. The lighting coursed through Gajeel's entire body, but he couldn't help but notice that it didn't hurt nearly as much as Natsu's orange lightning. "It's all your fault!" Gajeel continued to roar in pain, as Laxus continued to bombard him with lightning.

"S-Stop it Laxus!" Jet exclaimed, watching as Gajeel collapsed onto his knees. "You're g-going way to far man!"

"It doesn't matter how strong Laxus is..." Droy said, as his entire body began to shake. "He should still be able to fight back..."

"Could it be, that Gajeel was, from the start..." Jet breathed out, a sudden realization striking him.

"He wanted us to recognize him as our nakama." Levy said, tears forming in her eyes. "So, he didn't fight back at all."

"It's all your fault that we're being made fun of!" Laxus roared, as he kicked Gajeel in the stomach, knocking all the breath from his lungs. "Why the hell don't you just die already!? I'll destroy anyone who goes against Fairy Tail!"

"Stop God damn it!" Jet exclaimed, preparing to jump in a intervene. "Laxus!"

"Shut the hell up! Little weaklings like you should keep your damn mouths shut!" Laxus yelled, as he fired a bolt of lightning at Jet and Droy. But, Laxus' blast of lightning went right between Jet and Droy, and instead was heading straight towards Levy.

_"LEVY!" _Gajeel thought, feeling his heart thunder in his chest. A sudden burst of strength exploded through Gajeel's body, and he moved without a second thought. Levy closed her eyes and raised her arms, preparing from the lightning to hit her. However, she was surprised when it never did. Cracking an eye open, Levy was shocked to see Gajeel standing in front of her, taking Laxus' attack square in the chest.

"G-Gajeel..." Levy breathed out, as she cupped a hand over her mouth. "Why did you..."

"My body just kinda moved on its own." Gajeel said, falling down onto one knee, electricity still sparking off his body. "Listen shrimp...what I was trying to say before...I'm sorry about about destroying your guild..." Levy's eyes shot open when Gajeel said this. "And I'm sorry about hurting you like that..." Gajeel then turned to Jet and Droy. "You guys too...I'm sorry...what I did to you three was beyond awful." With a grunt, Gajeel slowly got back onto his feet and grabbed his pack. "Well that's all I wanted to say." Dragging his pack on the ground, Gajeel began to slowly walk away. "If that's all...I've got a job to do."

"G-Gajeel..." Levy said, as she reached out to the iron dragon slayer. "Wait-"

"Don't worry about me." Gajeel said, continuing to limp away. _"This is what I deserve for hurting you." _

"Ah shit..." Jet muttered, as he released a heavy sigh. "We really fucked up."

_"Useless." _Laxus thought, tightly balling fists as he walked away. _"Fairy Tail...this isn't the guild I want!" _

* * *

(That Night: Strawberry Street)

"Aw man, I really wish I could have found a good job." Lucy said with light sigh, as she walked along the edge of the canal, with Plue walking on the street next to her. "Damn that Gajeel, taking my job like that. What the hell am I gonna do about rent this month?" Releasing another sigh, Lucy looked down at the dragon scale scarf in her hand. "So this is Natsu's scarf..." The blonde celestial spirit mage brought the scarf up to her nose and sniffed it. A smile spread across her face when a familiar scent hit her nose. "It's smells just like him..." Lucy then wrapped the scarf around her neck, immediately feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. "It's so warm too..." Spotting her apartment, Lucy hopped off the canal's edge. "I guess I can return this when I see him tomorrow...I don't think he'll really mind if I hold onto it for one night...I'll even due him a favor and wash it." When Lucy reached the door to her room, she quickly poked her head in. "Huh, no one's in here for once? That's quite a surprise." However, as Lucy walked into her apartment, she couldn't help but feel slightly saddened that no one was waiting for her. "*Sigh* I'm so used to those just popping up in my room that it feels kinda lonely when they're not here...Well I guess I should go take a bath."

After taking a quick bath and brushing her teeth, Lucy wrote another letter to her mother. Once that was finished the blonde celestial spirit mage released a tired yawn. "I better get to bed." Lucy sighed lightly as she crawled into her bed. "It's just not the same without Natsu here." But as soon as Lucy pulled up the covers she realized that something was off. Her bed felt much warmer than usual and it was a very familiar warmth. Quickly pushing the cover back, Lucy wasn't surprised to see that Natsu and Happy were asleep in her bed. A soft smile spread across Lucy's face, as she brushed some pink locks out of Natsu's eyes. "So that's where you were? I couldn't shake the feeling that you were hiding in here somewhere."

"H-Huh?" Natsu groaned, slowly opening his eyes and sitting up. "Oh *Yawn* Morning Luce."

"And just what do you guys think you're doing in my bed?" Lucy asked with an amused smirk. "I don't remember inviting you two over."

"Happy...you answer..." Natsu mumbled, as his head fell back down onto the bed. "It's no good...Luce's bed is just too comfortable..."

"Well we were half way home and Natsu finally realized that his scarf was missing." Happy explained, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "So we just stopped by to get it back..."

"And while you two waited for me, you decided to take a nap in my bed." Lucy finished, as she got out of bed and grabbed Natsu's scarf, which she had finished washing earlier. The blonde celestial spirit mage hugged the scarf close to her chest one more time, before she walked back over to the bed. "Here you go Natsu." However, Natsu didn't take his scarf back, instead he let out a low, pained groan. "Hey Happy...is Natsu okay?"

"Aye." Happy replied, raising his paw. "This happened to Natsu once before. That time, he ended up like this after he ate too much of Laxus' lightning."

"Too much?" Lucy repeated, as she quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "Natsu can eat too much magic?"

"Well imagine Natsu's magic as a container." Happy explained, drawing a box in the air with his finger. "If Natsu eats too much fire or lightning that container can start to overflow, making him feel bloated and sick."

"Why did Natsu eat so much of Laxus' lightning anyways?" Lucy asked, which caused Happy to chuckle lightly.

"They were fighting obviously. You've probably noticed, but Natsu isn't exactly on the best terms with Laxus." Happy replied, sitting down next to Lucy. "Natsu and Laxus have been at each other's throats for years. Something about the lightning dragon slayer lacrima in Laxus' body just rubs Natsu the wrong way. Every time Laxus is around, Natsu gets all on edge and eager to fight. But Natsu has never managed to beat Laxus."

"Is Laxus really that strong..." Lucy muttered, as she looked down at her lap, clasping her hands together. _"It's hard to imagine someone being able to beat Natsu...I've seen him beat some truly strong opponents before...Laxus must be on another level."_

"I'd wager that Laxus is the strongest person in the guild aside from Gildarts. Natsu is very strong as well, and he's grown a lot over the years, but Laxus still has a leg up on him." Happy explained, grabbing ahold of Natsu's scarf and holding it in his lap. "Erza is very strong as well...rumors have it that Mystogan is powerful too...and Mira used to be really scary. Everyone used to call her the 'demon."

"Yeah, Natsu mentioned that Mira used to be very different." Lucy said, as she chuckled lightly. "But the way she is now, I can't imagine her as a 'demon.' Sure she likes to mess with people, but I don't think I'd call her a demon."

"You didn't know her when she was younger." Happy said, a shiver running down his spine. "Anyways, I almost forgot about something." Happy grabbed his green pack off his back and began to rummage through. After a few moments he pulled out a folded up piece of paper. "Natsu wanted to show you this! You were saying that you were short on jewels right? Well Natsu spotted something when we were leaving the guild. He was really reluctant at first, but he knew how disappointed you were that you weren't able to go on a mission together."

"A job?" Lucy asked, as she grabbed the slip of paper from Happy and began to unfold it.

"Well not exactly..." Happy said, rubbing the back of his head. "Magnolia is hosting its annual Harvest Festival next week, and Fairy Tail is taking part in the celebrations this year." Flying up next to Lucy, Happy pointed towards a particular part of the paper. "Look at the bottom right."

"It's a...Miss Fairy Tail contest?!" Lucy exclaimed, as her eyes shot open in surprise.

"Aye. It's a beauty contest between all the women of Fairy Tail. The winner will get 500,000 jewels." Happy explained, causing Lucy's eyes to light up.

"500,000?! That would pay my rent for seven months and still have a little bit left over!" Lucy exclaimed, as her grip on the sheet of paper tightened. "And this looks perfect for me!"

"I know Mira and Cana will be participating, but I'm sure you'll still have a pretty good chance." Happy added, sitting back down next to Natsu.

"W-What?! Mira too!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she tugged on her hair in frustration. "That's not fair! She was a fucking pinup model! How the hell am I supposed to beat that!?"

"Y-You can do it Luce. I believe in you..." Natsu said in a pained voice, turning his head to give Lucy a weak grin and a thumbs up. "Sure Mira is beautiful, but you are to. I'm sure that if you give it your all that you can win."

"Thanks Natsu." Lucy said, as she walked over to her mate and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Alright! I'm gonna go all out for this contest! I'm gonna give Mira and all the other girls a run for their money! I'm gonna become Miss Fairy Tail no matter what!"

"That's my girl. Go give 'em hell." Natsu muttered, rolling back over in the bed and falling asleep once again.

* * *

(Same Time: Northwest of Shirotsume Town; Dark Guild: Ghoul Spirit)

"GAAAHHH!" Several Ghoul Spirit mages exclaimed, as they were blow back by a powerful explosion.

"You guys were making fun of us just now, weren't you?" A feminine voice said, three figures appearing within the smoke and debris.

"You utter fools." The tallest of the three figures cackled.

"So ya bastards wanna fight?!"

"You're not getting out of this place alive!"

"Yeah, we'll slaughter ya!"

"Oho...a dark guild that cowers in the dark is trying to stand up to a righteous legal guild?" The woman said, her face hidden behind a hand fan. A smirk spread across the woman's face, as she slowly raised her glasses. "My oh my, what is the world coming to?" The woman's eyes suddenly began to glow bright green, turning all the Ghoul Spirit mages in front of her to stone. The other Ghoul Spirit mages gasped in fear and slowly backed away from the three unknown assailants.

"W-What the hell was that!?"

"They all just turned to stone out of nowhere!"

"What are you pussies doing just standing around!? Man the hell up and get those bastards!"

"Yeah! Get 'em!" But before the Ghoul Spirit mages could rally together, several wooden dolls swooped in and began to attack them. The wooden dolls darted through the air, ramming into Ghoul Spirit mages and firing beams of magical energy at them. The room was soon filled with the pained screams of the Ghoul Spirit mages.

"That's quite enough Bickslow, we don't want to kill them." A slim man with waist-length green hair said, as he emerged from the smoke.

"What are you talking about Freed? Aren't there-" Bickslow asked, scanning his surroundings. But he was surprised to see that all the Ghoul Spirit mages were already defeated. "What the hell? It's already over?"

"Man, these weaklings were hardly a challenge." A woman with short light-brown hair said, as she nudged an unconscious Ghoul Spirit mage with her foot. "I barely had to lift a finger."

"I agree Evergreen." Freed said, walking through the maze of knocked out mages. "I'm still amazed such a weak guild managed to exist."

"It's because they're so weak that they turned to illegal activities." Evergreen said in a haughty tone, as she fanned herself with her hand fan.

"AH! This isn't enough! My babies still need to run wild!" Bickslow exclaimed, stamping his foot in irritation.

"Well then I think I have the perfect thing for you Bickslow." Freed said, as he rested his hand on his sword, revealing a green Fairy Tail mark on top of his left hand.

"Oh, you're talking about Laxus, right?" Evergreen said with a smirk, as she lowered her fan, a green Fairy Tail mark visible above her right breast. "So the time has finally come?"

"Oh I've been waiting so fucking long for this!" Bickslow laughed semi-crazily, sticking out his tongue, a black Fairy Tail mark hidden on his tongue. "And my babies are ready to fuck some shit up too!"

"It's time to finally head back home." Freed said, as he began to walked out of the partially destroyed building. "To Fairy Tail."

"T-Three people...managed to wipe out...all of Ghoul Spirit?"

"But...that long-haired guy...didn't really do anything...so it was more like two people..."

"There's not doubt...those guys were Laxus' bodyguards...the Raijinshū."

* * *

(Same Time: Back in Magnolia)

"Doesn't Natsu usually help you with things like this?" Makarov grumbled, carrying bags of supplies, as he walked next to Mirajane. "An old man shouldn't be carrying such heavy bags."

"Don't forgot Master, you still owe me for that little peeping incident a few weeks ago." Mirajane said in a menacing tone, which caused Makarov's shoulders to stiffen. Fairy Tail's elderly master audibly gulped when he saw the sickly sweet smile on Mirajane's face. "I wonder how Natsu would react if he found out that I caught you peeping on Lucy, Erza and I while we were bathing."

"N-Now don't be rash now Mira-chan..." Makarov said, chuckling nervously as sweat formed on his brow. He knew exactly how upset Natsu could get when someone messed with those three girls, and he didn't feel like evoking the dragon slayers wrath and having to rebuild the guild once again. "I'm happy to lend a hand."

"That's what I thought." Mirajane said, her smile returning to its normal cheery form. "I'm glad you're being so helpful Master."

"Well let's change the subject..." Makarov muttered, glancing at all the bustling and working people around him. "It looks like the whole town is in a festival mood."

"They sure are!" Mirajane said with a bright smile, as she waved to a group of workers. "And everyone's working so hard to get Fantasia ready."

"Well this year we're going to make this a parade the whole continent will remember for a long time." Makarov said, a grin spreading across his face.

"Master...are you upset that Laxus won't be joining in?" Mirajane said in a quiet tone, as she began to walk a little slower. She knew that discussing Laxus was a very touchy subject for Makarov, and decided to tread very carefully. "After some of the things he's done the past few weeks I can't say I'll miss him, and I know Natsu and some of the others won't be very worried...but he is your grandson."

"Please don't mention him." Makarov said with a heavy sigh, slowly shaking his head. "That boy..."

"It's just that...Levy told me that he's back in town..." Mirajane explained, causing Makarov's eyes to shot open in surprise. "And that he got in a fight with Gajeel...apparently Laxus hurt Gajeel pretty badly..." Mirajane stopped briefly when she saw the shocked look on Makarov's face. "Master...is something wrong?"

"To think this would happen now of all times..." Makarov muttered, releasing another heavy sigh. Looking down at the ground, Makarov began to remember the times he would take Laxus to Fantasia parades when he was younger. "How on Earth did you end up like this...Laxus?"

* * *

(One Week Later: Streets of Magnolia; Harvest Festival)

"Ugh...I still feel like shit..." Natsu muttered, as he clutched a hand over his stomach. The dual dragon slayer stumbled down the street lined with performers and food stalls, his nakama trailing slightly behind him.

"It's festival time!" Happy cheered, energetically flying around Natsu.

"Maybe if I eat delicious food until I'm full I'll start to feel better." Natsu said, as he struggled to keep his balance.

"Natsu still isn't feeling any better?" Juvia asked, walking up next to Lucy. The water mage couldn't help but notice the worried look on Lucy's face. "Is Natsu going to be alright? Juvia is starting to worry about him."

"I don't know..." Lucy replied, as she slowly shook her head. "He's been like that for the past week. But I suppose he's gotten a little better, because before he would hardly get out of bed. At least he's up and walking around now. Although it still looks like he's half dead."

"Oh don't worry about flame brain." Gray said in an uninterested tone, gazing at lively festival around him with a bored look. "Just let him be."

"Gray-sama, you should at least show a little concern for Natsu. He is your nakama after all." Juvia scolded, as she huffed and placed her hands on her hips.

"Tch, whatever." Gray muttered, turning his head away from Juvia and shoving his hands in his pockets.

_"Where did that come from?" _Lucy thought, as she stared at Juvia in surprise. _"I know that Natsu said Juvia was one of his potential mates, and I'm pretty she has some feelings for him too. But she's been all over Gray for the past few weeks, I didn't think she had it in her to talk back to him like that. Well good for her, maybe she'll start to open her eyes and realize that the perfect guy is right in front of her." _

"Anyways, this place sure is crowded." Juvia said, wanting to ease the slight tension that formed between her and Gray. "Juvia has never seen Magnolia so full of life."

"I didn't know this town even had this many people." Lucy said, taken aback by the sheer amount of people that had flooded the streets since the festival had started.

"It's because of the Fantasia parade." Gray explained, pointing towards a group of people preparing a parade float. "People come from all over Fiore to see it."

"OH! I have to see it now!" Lucy cheered, as she clapped her hands together. Just then a sudden realization struck Lucy. "Oh shit! The Miss Fairy Tail contest is going to start any minute!" Then like a bolt of lightning, Lucy took of sprinting towards the guild hall. "My rent is on the line!"

"Natsu's actually okay with Lucy participating in that?" Gray asked no one in particular, quirking his eyebrow in surprise. "That's news to me. He usually gets super pissed when guys gawk at her, or any girl he's close to."

"Juvia absolutely won't lose to Lucy!" Juvia exclaimed, as a fiery determination burned in her ocean blue eyes. _"Juvia will show Gray-sama that she's the perfect woman! And Natsu will congratulate Juvia and shower her with praise!"_

"You're gonna participate too?" Gray asked, releasing a light sigh. _"I have a feeling this is gonna be a long day."_

* * *

(Five Minutes Later: Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"Citizens of Magnolia Town! And citizens from all across Fiore!" Max exclaimed into his microphone, which caused a chorus of cheers from the large crowd gathered around the guild hall's main stage. "I know this is the moment you have all been waiting for! The beauties of Fairy Tail will perform on this very stage! Let's get this show on the road! Your MC on this fine afternoon will be I, the mage who controls sand, Max Alors!"

"Oi flame brain, are you sure you're alright with Lucy and Erza doing this?" Gray asked, sitting next to the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Because you look like a fucking mess right now."

"I'm okay...I'm totally fine..." Natsu said in between bites of food, as his brow slightly twitched. "It's their decision...and I'm not gonna force them to stop...so yeah...I'm right as rain..."

_"Damn, it looks like he's about to __explode." _Gray thought, watching Natsu rapidly tap his foot and dart his gaze around the guild hall.

"Now let me introduce our first contest!" Max exclaimed, as the stage suddenly became engulfed in light, revealing a voluptuous brunette. "Miss Cana Alberona! What a stunner!" Cana gave the crowd a sultry wink, before blowing them a kiss. The entire crowd burst into cheers, all the men doing their best to crowd around the stage. Reaching into her bag, Cana pulled out a stack of cards. The card mage then scattered the stack of cards into the air, swirling around her entire body. "WHOA! The cards seem to be covering up her body!" Moments later the cards dispersed, revealing that Cana was now dressed in a skimpy striped swimsuit. "WOW! She changed into an amazing swimsuit!"

_"How'd you like that little show Natsu?" _Cana thought with a smirk, briefly locking eyes with the pink-haired dragon slayer. The brunette card mage's smirk widened when she noticed that Natsu seem to be entranced by her performance, his eyes firmly locked onto her. Giving Natsu a quick wink, Cana made her way off the stage, feeling a great sense of accomplishment. _"I may not win this contest, but I did get Natsu to notice me. That's a win in my book." _

_"Was that directed at me?" _Natsu thought in slight confusion, as he watched Cana walk off the stage, his eyes firmly locked on her beautiful ass. _"But damn that was a nice show. Cana really fills out that bikini nicely." _

"A bikini! That's totally not fair!" Lucy hissed, slightly glaring at the brunette card mage. "I'm really gonna have to step up my game now!"

"I see..." Erza said, as she suddenly appeared next to Lucy. "That's a very valid tactic."

"KYA!" Lucy exclaimed in surprise, recoiling away from the scarlet-haired knight. "Erza! When did you get here!? Wait! You're competing as well!"

"Well I couldn't let you hog all the spotlight." Erza said with a smirk, as she rested her fists on her hips. "Plus, I can't help but get fired up whenever there's a competition...Huh, I guess Natsu has been rubbing off on me."

_"My rent money..." _Lucy thought, hanging her head in defeat. _"It's getting farther and farther away."_

"Alright! Now it's time for out next contestant!" Max cheered, as he gestured to the opposite end of the stage. "It's our newest possible s-rank member, the woman who has control over water at her fingertips, the beautiful Juvia Lockser!"

"Hello everyone!" Juvia yelled with a large smile, appearing on the stage in a wave of water. The water mage's unique entrance earned her a large applause from the audience. Juvia's smile changed to a smirk when she spotted Gray sitting at a table near the back of the crowd. _"Let's see how Gray-sama likes this! Thanks for the idea Cana-san!" _Then suddenly, just like she appeared on stage, Juvia's entire body transformed into a surge of water. The crowd seemed to love Juvia's act, because their cheers and applause only grew louder. Then all at once the water dispersed, showing that Juvia had changed into a purple poka-dotted bikini. "Gray-sama are you watching?"

However, Juvia's heart sank a little when she saw that Gray wasn't paying attention at all. The ice mage seemed more interested in pestering the pink-haired dragon slayer that was sitting next to him, instead of her performance. Despite being slightly disappointed that Gray wasn't looking at her, Juvia's face couldn't help but flush bright red when she saw how Natsu was looking at her. The dual dragon slayer's eyes were wide in awe, and his mouth slightly agape, as if he was staring at the most beautiful thing in the world. Juvia quickly bowed and thanked the audience in an embarrassed tone, before she ran off the stage, her heart racing in her chest. Leaning against a wall behind the main stage, Juvia clutched a hand over her thundering heart.

_"Why was Natsu staring at Juvia like that? Juvia...Juvia wishes Gray-sama would look at her with such passionate eyes." _Juvia thought, as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. However, this failed when she remembered the look on Natsu's face. _"The way he was looking at Juvia...was the way a man looks at the woman he loves...but why would he look at Juvia like that...does...does Natsu have feelings for Juvia?" _Poking her head out from behind the curtain, Juvia once again spotted the pink-haired dragon slayer. _"Lucy did mention that Natsu's magic is driving him to take multiple...mates...does that mean Natsu wants to make Juvia one of his mates?" _Juvia's blush returned in full force at the prospect of being in such an intimate relationship with the pink-haired dragon slayer. _"Lucy and Erza seem so happy despite having to share the man they love...and Juvia would be lying if she said she hadn't thought of being in that type of relationship with Natsu, especially when Juvia was younger...but now Juvia has these feelings for Gray-sama..." _Juvia returned to the backstage and hung her head, tightly balling her fists. _"But no matter how hard Juvia tries, Gray-sama won't look her way and it's starting make Juvia depressed. Then Natsu is there to compliment Juvia and make her smile again. Juvia is just so confused right now. Should she continue to pursue Gray-sama, or give up and give Natsu a chance? Juvia...Juvia needs time to think...time to sort things out in her heart. During that time Juvia will still go after Gray-sama, but she'll also start opening her heart to other options." _

"That was a great performance from the beautiful Juvia Lockser! But now it's time for our third contestant!" Max exclaimed, the lights focusing on the center of the stage. "A gorgeous woman I'm sure you've all been dying to see! Her beauty could make you drunker than the world's strongest alcohol! Give it up for Fairy Tail's lovely barmaid, Mirajane Strauss!" The crowd erupt into deafening cheers, as Mirajane strolled onto the stage in a skin tight leopard print dress. Natsu's eyes never left Mirajane, while she made her way to the center of the stage. The dual dragon slayer looked the busty white-haired barmaid from head to toe several times, appreciating how the dress hugged her body and showed off her voluptuous curves.

_"God Mira is beautiful." _Natsu thought with a small smile, as he rested his head on his palm. However, Natsu could feel his annoyance rising, as he listened to the men in the crowd hoot and catcall at Mirajane. The pink-haired dragon slayer had to bite his tongue and tightly grip the table to keep himself from silencing the rude bastards with a swift punch to the jaw. _"Mira's a big girl...she can handle a couple assholes ogling her...she doesn't need me to protect her right now...I just need to calm down a little." _

"Hello! Thank you all so much for coming!" Mirajane cheered with a bright smile, energetically waving to the crowd. "I'm very skilled in transformation magic, and I like to demonstrate it for you all! First I'll start off with..." Humming as she scanned through the crowd, Mirajane's eyes lit up when she spotted the perfect target. "**Full Body Transformation**! **Happy Version**!" Everyone in the crowd was shocked when Mirajane's head suddenly changed into a perfect copy of Happy's. The crowd seemed to be quite confused by the strange choice, aside from Happy and Natsu who were laughing hysterically. "Next..." Mirajane smirked when she spotted a grumpy looking iron dragon slayer hiding near the back of the guild hall. "That's the perfect face! Gajeel!" The iron dragon slayer perked up when he heard his name called. But Gajeel's eyes shot open and did a literal spit take when he saw that Mirajane's head had changed into an exact copy of his.

"Oi! That isn't funny!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he slammed his fist onto the table, his face flushed red in embarassment.

"No, it's fucking hilarious!" Natsu roared in laughter, wiping a tear from his eye. "Great job Mira!"

_"What's Mira doing?" _Lucy thought, as she stared at the white-haired barmaid in surprise. The blonde celestial spirit mage saw how confused most of the crowd looked, and couldn't understand what Mirajane was planning. _"Mira probably had the best chance of winning this, but she's kinda shooting herself in the foot right now." _

_"Don't worry so much Lucy." _Mirajane thought, spotting the blonde celestial spirit mage out of the corner of her eye. _"I'm doing this to help increase your chances of winning. I overheard that you need this money to help pay for your rent. Besides, I didn't even really want to compete this year. But..." _A sudden devious smirk spread across the white-haired barmaid's face. _"I can't have Juvia and Cana flaunting for Natsu and showing me up. I've gotta put on a good show too before I leave the stage." _

"I've got one more transformation for you all!" Mirajane cheered, as her head changed back to normal. "It's an extra special transformation for the man in my heart!" This exclamation piqued the crowd's interest, most of the men furious that some guy had already stolen Mirajane's heart. "Try not to get too jealous!" Now this got Natsu's attention right away. The pink-haired dragon slayer immidiately locked eyes with Mirajane, the white-haired barmaid winking when their eyes met.

_"What's she planning?" _Natsu thought, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. _"She was definitely talking to me right-" _The dual dragon slayer's train of thought was cut off when Mirajane's body suddenly become cloaked in thick white smoke.

As the smoke began to dissipate, Natsu could faintly make out Mirajane's form through the remaining fog. The white-haired barmaid appeared to laying on her side, resting her head on her palm. When the smoke fully dispersed, Natsu's, along with every man in the crowd, eyes shot open in shock. Mirajane was laying on the stage with a mischievous smile on her face, now dressed in a skimpy white bikini. The bikini's top could barely contain Mirajane's impressive bust, which was threatening to burst out of the swimsuit at any moment.

_"That's...That's..." _Natsu thought, as his mind started to go blank, continuing to drink in Mirajane's miraculous figure. _"How did she know?!" _

_"Heh, looks like my little plan worked." _Mirajane thought with a satisfied smirk, watching Natsu stare back at her with glazed over eyes. _"I'm glad I snooped around Natsu's house a little last time I was there. Because I was able to find his stash of Weekly Sorcerer magazines. All of them had pinups of Erza and I, and his favorite pinup of me was when I wore this bikini while in this pose." _

"Thank you all very much! I hope you enjoyed my show!" Mirajane cheered, as she practically skipped off the stage, the crowd roaring in approval of her final performance.

_"I need a minute to cool down." _Natsu thought, laying his head down onto the table. _"Too much stimulation at once." _

"Wow! What an interesting performance! It had a rocky start, but what a fantastic ending!" Max exclaimed, as he walked back onto the stage. "Now it's time for our fourth contestant! The strongest woman in Fairy Tail! The incredible Titania, queen of the fairies! Erza Scarlet!" The scarlet-haired slowly strolled to the center of the stage, her composure cool and collected. The crowd seemed almost as excited for Erza as they were for Mirajane, if the cheers and clapping were any indication.

"There she is!"

"It's Erza!"

"She's so cool!"

"Man, she's so graceful and dignified." Lucy muttered in awe, watching Erza take center stage, all lights now on her.

"I'll let you all witness..." Erza said, as her body became cloaked in bright white light. "The re-equip that I've been saving for a special occasion..." When the light died down, the crowd began to holler and catcall. The scarlet-haired knight had, like the contestant before her, re-equipped into a bikini. However, Erza's bikini featured blue flame patterns, which wasn't missed by Natsu. Erza's re-equip was definitely a hit with the crowd, especially with a certain pink-haired dragon slayer.

_"Oh, I'm gonna love stripping that off you tonight Erza." _Natsu thought with a smirk, thinking of all the naughty things he was going to do to his knight.

"Heh, looks like I've won this..." Erza said with a confident smile, as she walked off the stage, brushing past a very flustered blonde celestial spirit mage. "Don't worry Lucy, if I win I'll share the prize money with you." Patting Lucy on the shoulder, Erza began to walk backstage. "We're family now right? So we've got to help each other out."

"Thanks Erza, I really appreciate that." Lucy said with a small smile, before she returned to watching the performances. _"But I intend to win this thing!" _

The next two contestant were Levy and Bisca, but neither girl was as daring as the contestants before them. Levy had used her **Solid Script **to put on a beautiful display, creating words made out various materials. The crowd certainly enjoyed Levy's cute performance, especially a particular iron dragon slayer, who stared at the petite girl with a faint blush on his face. After Levy was Bisca, who used her **Gun Magic** to perform several impressive trick shots, which awed the crowd, especially Alzack. Once Bisca's act was finished, it was finally Lucy's turn to take the stage.

"Alright! Now it's time for our seventh contestant! Give it up for our rookie! Lucy H-" Lucy's eyes shot open when she realized that max was about to reveal her last name. In the blink of an eye Lucy darted across the stage and slapped a hand over Max's mouth.

"Don't say my last name!" Lucy exclaimed, her face bright red in embarassment. The crowd seemed quite confused by Lucy's odd display, but the men did find Lucy very attractive. _"It'll be trouble if people find out who my family is." _With a nervous smile, Lucy grabbed her celestial gate keys. "I-I...I have a special dance with my celestial spirits that I want to show you all."

_"Give 'em hell Luce. I know you can do it." _Natsu thought with a toothy, giving his lover a thumbs up.

Spotting Natsu in the crowd, Lucy felt a sudden surge of confidence. Lucy took a calming breath to slow her racing heart. "Okay! **Open Gate**-"

"Contestant number eight is here." Lucy's performance was stopped before it could even start when a new voice spoke up from behind her.

"Hey, I didn't even have a chance to start..." Lucy whined, as she turned to the person behind her. The blonde celestial spirit mage was prepared to chew Max out for interrupting her, but she was surprised to see a woman she had never seen before standing behind her.

"If you want talk about fairies, then you're talking about me." The mysterious woman said, strolling past Lucy, completely ignoring the fuming blonde. "If you talk about beauty, then that's me. That's right, it's all me. Th champion will most certainly be me, Evergreen! So end the beauty contest here, before it gets too boring!"

_"Jeez someone's sure full of themselves." _Lucy thought with a sweatdrop.

"Evergreen!?" Gray exclaimed, his eyes shooting open in surprise.

"When did she get back?" Elfman asked, as he tightly balled his fists.

_"I'm not gonna let this bitch ruin my performance!" _Lucy thought, storming over to Evergreen. "Oi! Quit playing around! Who do you think you are ruining my act like that?! This contest concern my living, ya know!?"

"LUCE!" Natsu shouted, as he shot out of his seat. "Don't look her in the eyes!"

"What?" Lucy said, but Natsu's warning had come too late. The blonde celestial spirit mage had already locked eyes with Evergreen.

"Did you say something little girl?" Evergreen asked, lifting up her glasses, as her eyes began to glow. Before Lucy even had a chance to react she had been turned into stone.

"What the hell is this!?"

"That blonde chick was turned to stone!"

"This is a performance right!?"

"This is awful!" Max exclaimed, as made arrows out of sand to point to the exits. "Everybody get out of the guild hall now!"

"What are you doing Evergreen?" Makarov asked, making his way towards the main stage. "Are you trying to ruin the festival?!"

"Well a festival needs a main show." Evergreen said with a smirk, just as the main curtain lifted off the ground, revealing that all the other contestants in the pageant had been turned to stone as well.

"She turned everyone in the waiting room into stone as well!?" Max exclaimed in shock, as he took a fearful step away from Evergreen. "Just what the hell is going on here!?"

"You fool!" Makarov exclaimed in fury, a vein bulging on his forehead. "Change them-"

"EVERGREEN!" Natsu roared, as he slammed his fist onto the table, smashing it to pieces in a single strike. "Change everyone back to normal! NOW!"

_"They got Levy too!" _Gajeel thought, gritting his teeth in anger. _"They're gonna pay for __this!" _

"Sorry, but I can't do that." Evergreen said with a smirk, as she rested her hand on a petrified Mirajane's shoulder. "You'll just have to be patient Natsu."

"I'm not going to repeat myself again Evergreen." Natsu warned, the air around him starting to crackle with orange electricity. "Change. Them. Back." Suddenly a massive amount of intense orange lightning exploded off Natsu's body, causing those around him to back away. "NOW!" Just then a bolt of lightning struck the stage next to Evergreen. Natsu immediately recognized who it was, and his anger increased even further.

"Oi! Fairy Tail idiots..." Laxus said with a smirk, the rest of the Raijinshū standing behind him. "This is where the real festival begins!"

"Laxus!" Makarov exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock.

"Why don't we play a little game..." Laxus said, as he crouched on the stage in front of Makarov. "Old man?"

"Don't start anything stupid boy. We have to start preparing for Fantasia soon." Makarov said, glaring at his grandson. "Turn everyone back to normal!"

"Fantasia isn't until late at night." Laxus said, as he stood back up. "If we hurry, people might be able to see it." Just then Laxus snapped his fingers, and a bolt of lightning crashed into the ground next to Lucy.

"Stop it!" Makarov roared, tightly balling his fists. "Are you insane?!"

By now Natsu was seeing red, his anger way past the breaking point. The pink-haired dragon slayer's breath was ragged and his heart hammered in his chest. It took all of Natsu's willpower to stop himself from rushing onto the stage and tearing Laxus limb from limb. But with all the girls still turned to stone, Natsu had to be careful or they'd be hurt.

"I'm taking these girls hostages." Laxus said with a smirk, as he wrapped an arm around Lucy's neck, which caused Natsu to snarl in fury. "I'll destroy them one by one if you idiots break the rules...like I said this is the main event."

"There are things that can't be taken as jokes Laxus." Makarov growled through grit teeth. "You're taking this too far."

"Oh, but I'm very serious." Laxus said, as he walked back to center stage. "We're gonna have a game to see who's the strongest in Fairy Tail. The last man standing wins! The battle for Fairy Tail starts now!"

"Alright you son of a bitch!" Natsu roared, orange lightning once again exploding off his body, as he glared daggers at Laxus. "I've been promising you an ass kicking for a long time Laxus, and it's about time I deliver!"

"Hold on Salamander..." Gajeel said, as he walked up next to Natsu. The pink-haired dragon slayer turned to tell Gajeel off, but he stopped when he saw the look on the iron dragon slayer's face. "I've got a bone to pick with this asshole too. So I'm not gonna let you have all the fun."

"Okay, you can back me up Gajeel." Natsu said, turning back to glare at Laxus. "You hear that Laxus!? Me and Gajeel are coming for you! By the end of today we'll know who the strongest lightning dragon slayer is! This battle doesn't end until there's only one lightning dragon left standing!"

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**And done! The Battle for Fairy Tail arc has officially kicked off! Laxus has returned and Natsu is furious! Next chapter will pick up immediately were this one left off, so look forward to that. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK, check out my profile and other stories if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas for any of my fics. This is the last quick update chapter for now, so the next chapter won't be out for a little while. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	33. Chapter 33 Trapped

**Hey guys, I'm finally back with a new chapter for this fic. I apologize for the long wait for this chapter, but I've just been so preoccupied with school and work lately, especially since I'll be transferring to a four-year college next semester. So the past few months I've just been exhausted and had very little motivation to do any serious writing. Just know that I'm determined not to abandon any of my fics, and that I will do my absolute best to get a chapter out, even if it takes a long time. Well I've finally managed to update my Pokemon, so now I can focus on this fic for a while. Like usual I will update this fic a few times before I move on to work on my Akame ga Kill fic. This chapter will pick up immediately where the previous one left off and will really get the Battle for Fairy Tail arc under way. This story is almost at...*Looks at follower and favorite counts* that can't be right...*Double checks to make the numbers are correct* Oh my God...I'm literally speechless right now. This fic is almost at 2,000 followers and is closing in on 1,900 favorites. I can't really find the words to describe how happy I'm feeling right now. I'm shocked so many people are reading my silly little fic that I created on a whim over 2 years ago. I guess the only thing I can really say to all of you is thank you for sticking with me for this long, and thank you supporting me and being patient with my slow ass.**

**P.S. Have you guys been keeping up with any of the anime this season? There are so many great series going on at once! ****Renai Boukun (Probably my favorite anime this season, because I love the manga), Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat, Boku no Hero Academia Season 2 (This season is fucking fire rn), Eromanga Sensei, Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteriu Darou ka Gaiden: Sword Oratoria, and Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records, just to name a few of my favorites. So, if you haven't been keeping up with this season's anime, I highly recommend you check them out, because there are some real gems. Also I'm really late telling you guys this, but I do have a account now. My username on there is the same one as my pen name on this site, so check out my profile if you want to see all the anime/manga I've read/watched, am reading/watching, how I rate them, and some of my favorite characters and series.**

**P.P.S I'm sure that most of you are aware that the Fairy Tail manga will be ending very soon. This final arc has been full of extreme highs and lows, but despite some rushed and forced moments I'm still really enjoying Fairy Tail's final chapters. I want you all to know that even when the manga ends, that I will continue to write this fic and do my damnedest to see it all the way through. Fairy Tail has become such a huge part of my life, and even when it's over I still want to contribute to this amazing fandom, I want Fairy Tail to stay alive for years to come. After being massively let down by Naruto's ending, sort of feeling betrayed in a way, I almost completely gave up on anime and manga entirely (At this point I was only really watching/reading Naruto, it was my gateway into this medium). I just didn't want to feel so disappointed and let down again. But then one day on a whim I decided to check out a series called Fairy Tail that I had heard about before. And all I can say is that Fairy Tail has completely changed my life. Fairy Tail completely reinvigorated my interest in anime and manga, and has led me to hundreds of other amazing series. No other series I've watched/read has gripped me as much as Fairy Tail. No other series has made me care so much about its characters, even the minor ones who appear a few times. No other series has made me cry more, laugh more, smile more, care more, make my blood pump more than Fairy Tail. I wish I could somehow meet Hiro Mashima in real life, give him a massive hug, and just thank him for creating such an amazing world full of fantastic characters. With Fairy Tail heading towards its finish line, I have faith that Hiro Mashima will deliver a satisfying conclusion and I'm looking forward to whatever story he has planned next. What about you all? How has Fairy Tail affected your life? Are you sad to see it go? Happy it's finally over? (Lol, I know some cynical people out there are rejoicing that Fairy Tail is ending) Will you read Hiro Mashima's next series? Do you think it'll be as good as Fairy Tail? (I think Fairy Tail is Hiro Mashima's masterpiece and that he'll never surpass it. But I'm still excited to see what he's got in store.) Please share your thoughts with me. **

**Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Alright you son of a bitch!" Natsu roared, orange lightning exploding off his body, as he glared daggers at Laxus. "I've been promising you an ass kicking for a long time now Laxus, and it's about time that I deliver!"

"Hold on Salamander..." Gajeel said, as he walked up next to Natsu. The pink-haired dragon slayer turned around to tell Gajeel off, but he stopped when he saw the look in the iron dragon slayer's eyes. "I've got a bone to pick with this asshole too. So I'm not gonna let you have all the fun."

"Okay, you can back me up Gajeel." Natsu said, turning back around to glower at Laxus. "You hear that Laxus!? Me and Gajeel are coming for you! By the end of today we'll know who the strongest lightning dragon slayer is! This battle doesn't end until there's only one lightning dragon left standing!"

"Heh, you're always up for a good time, aren't cha Natsu?" Laxus asked with a cocky smirk, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That's one of the few things I've always liked about you."

"Natsu..." Makarov said quietly, walking up next to the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Are you sure about this? Laxus is different from most of the opponents you've faced so, he's incredibly strong."

"This has been a long time coming jii-chan...and I've grown stronger as well..." Natsu said, as he tightly balled his fists.

"There's no denying that." Makarov said, lowering his head as a small smile spread across his face. "You've grown so much in such a short amount of time."

"Besides..." Natsu said, as he flashed Makarov a toothy grin. "This is a festival right?" Punching his fist into his palm, Natsu charged towards the stage, orange lightning crackling with every step he took. "Let's go!"

"I've got your back Salamander!" Gajeel exclaimed, following closely behind the dual dragon slayer. "Let's kick this bastards ass!"

"I wouldn't be too hasty if I were you Natsu..." Laxus said with a twisted smile, as he pointed a sparking finger at Lucy, who was still encased in stone. "One wrong move and I'll waste this blonde bimbo, then all the other girls."

"Luce!" Natsu exclaimed, skidding to a halt right in front of the stage. The pink-haired dragon slayer's eyes were alight with fury, as he glared up at Laxus. "Don't you lay a fucking finger on her!"

"I know that this broad is special to you Natsu." Laxus said with a smirk, as he crouched down to get face to face with Natsu. "I bet it's just killing you that you can't save her now, isn't it?"

"Hurt Lucy, or any of the girls..." Natsu growled, fighting every urge to leap onto the stage and murder Laxus. "And I swear to you, that I will tear off your arm and beat you to death with it!"

"Oho, aren't you scary." Laxus taunted, as he stood back up and back over to where Lucy was. "But as long as I have these girls hostage you can't do shit Natsu. Now...why don't you kneel down and listen to the rules of the little game we have planned."

"Fuck you!" Natsu roared, slamming his electrified fist onto the stage. "Let the girls go and fight me like a man!"

"You better calm down Natsu..." Laxus warned in a serious tone, as he pointed his sparking hand at Lucy. "Because I'm not playing around!"

"You son of bitch." Natsu snarled, begrudgingly kneeling down in front of the stage. "You better pray I'm not the one who fights you."

"And order your lackey to back down as well." Laxus ordered, as he glared at Gajeel.

"Oi, I ain't Salamander's-"

"Or do you think you're fast enough to save her this time?" Laxus asked, as he moved his electrified hand from Lucy to Levy. Gajeel's eyes shot open in a mixture of rage and worry. "Stand down tin man."

"Gajeel..." Natsu said, turning his head to look at the iron dragon slayer. "Just do as he says for now. If we make any stupid moves he'll hurt all the girls up there, and we can't let that happen. I don't like this situation, but we'll just have to take this bastard down when the time comes."

"God damn it." Gajeel growled, as he kneeled down next to Natsu. "I'm going to kill this motherfucker."

"Good, I'm glad to see you're both compliant little dogs." Laxus taunted, before he walked back towards the other members of the Raijinshū. "Evergreen, explain the rules to everyone."

"Listen up everyone, because I'm going to explain this once." Evergreen said, making her way to center stage. "If you want to free all these lovely ladies, you'll have to defeat us first. There's only four of us and almost a hundred of you. I'd say you guys have quite the advantage, no?" Raising her hand into the air, Evergreen held up three fingers. "The time limit shall be three hours. If you cannot defeat us all before the time limit...the girls shall be reduced to sand." This earned several outcries from various guild members.

_"I won't let that happen!" _Natsu thought, as he tightly balled his fists. _"I'll take them all down if I have to!" _

"The battlefield will include all of Magnolia." Evergreen explained with a smirk, resting her hands on her hips. "The moment any of you finds us, the battle begins."

"Don't you brats screw with me!" Makarov roared, as he grew to the size of a small house. "I will not-"

"I thought I told you all to calm down, didn't I?" Laxus asked with a smug smirk, just as a blinding white light filled the entire guild hall, making everyone shield their eyes. "Let's all enjoy the festival. Let the Battle of Fairy Tail...begin!" When the light died down, Laxus and the Raijinshū had vanished.

"That absolute moron!" Makarov said in an irritated then, as he shrunk down to his normal size. "He has no idea what he's doing..." Fairy Tail's master turned to glance at Natsu and Gajeel, both dragon slayers now back onto their feet, looking read to kill. "He's just incurred the wrath of two dragons."

"RAH! I've gotta save nee-chan and the others!" Elfman roared, charging through the guild's front doors, a mob of his guild mates following after him.

"Bisca..." Alzack said underneath his breath, as he stared at the petrified cowgirl. "I will definitely save you, no matter what."

"That damn brat..." Makarov said, releasing a heavy sigh as he walked towards the guild's entrance. "I guess I'll have to teach him a lesson before Natsu and Gajeel kill him." However, Makarov was stopped dead in tracks when he ran face first into an invisible wall blocking the guild's entrance. "What the hell..."

"What the hell are you doing jii-chan? Trying to be a mime or something?" Gray asked, as he walked over to where Makarov was. "Because this isn't really the time."

"If you have time to be a smartass, then help me!" Makarov exclaimed, pushing against the invisible barrier that was blocking his path. "I cannot go on any further! There's some kind of invisible wall!"

"What the hell are you on about, you senile old man!?" Gray yelled, as he put his hand through the barrier that was supposedly blocking Makarov. "I don't see any barrier here and look, my hand went right through!"

"Well you wouldn't be able to see an invisible barrier you idiot!" Makarov grunted, continuing to push against the wall that was blocking him. "Just shut your trap and help me!"

"Tch, whatever." Gray muttered, as he grabbed Makarov's waist and tried to pull him forward. However, Gray was surprised when he wasn't able to pull Makarov past the guild's front doors. "What the hell is this shit?! You weren't kidding jii-chan!"

"I know, not let go of me!" Makarov exclaimed, slapping Gray's hands away. When Makarov looked back up after dusting himself off, he was surprised to see writing floating in the middle of the doorway. Makarov's eyes widened when he recognized the inscriptions. "These are...Freed's enchantments!?"

"Enchantment?" Gray parroted in a confused tone, as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's in the form of a barrier." Makarov muttered, stroking his chin as he continued to inspect the words. "Enchantments are a form of magic placed upon a location, designed to trap someone once they step inside its boundaries. The enchantment has to inscribed in these rogue letters all around the guild hall. Those who stray within the enchantment are placed under certain 'rules'...and if they're not followed, escape is impossible." Walking back up to the barrier, Makarov pointed to a specific set of letters. "Look here boy. It says, 'Rule: Those above the age of 80, and stone statues, may not pass.' Which is why I'm not allowed to leave the guild. It take quite a while inscribe and enchantment this extensive, which means it's practically useless in combat, but a very effective trap."

"What the hell is up with this cheap magic?!" Gray yelled, as his eyes widened. "It's like some little brat saying, 'because I said so,' and it's actually working! Can't you destroy this barrier or something?! I mean come on!"

"I'm afraid to say that an enchantment's rules are absolute." Makarov said, slowly shaking his head. "And this specific barrier encompasses both age and substance. Damn you Freed...when did you learn to create such powerful enchantments?"

"So in other words, that bastard never intended to let you participate in this fight...He's a sneaky one." Gray said, as he grit his teeth in irritation. "Well I guess we have not other chose, we'll just have to give it our best shot."

"Wait! Gray!" Makarov exclaimed, pounding on the invisible barrier.

"I'm not gonna show that bastard any mercy just cause he's your grandson..." Gray said, as he took off running towards the center of Magnolia. "I'm gonna take Laxus down!"

_"What the hell is Laxus thinking?!" _Makarov thought, lowering his head. _"He may be a stubborn idiot, but his strength is the real deal. Is there anyone who can stop him?" _Turning around, Makarov gazed at the petrified girls on the stage, focusing specifically on a certain scarlet-haired knight. _"Erza could definitely stand a chance...but with things the way they are now..." _Makarov then turned his attention Natsu and Gajeel, both dragon slayers staring at the stone encased maidens. _"Gajeel is very strong, but I don't think he's strong enough to handle Laxus on his own...and Natsu has grown tremendously over the past few months, but is really powerful enough to handle Laxus now? Maybe if both of them were to work together..." _Just then, Makarov noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Peeking his head out from behind the guild's front doors was Reedus.

"I-I'm sorry master..." Reedus apologized, as he hung his head in shame. "It...It's just that...I'm really scared of Laxus..."

"Reedus! Good, you're still here!" Makarov exclaimed, an idea popping into his head. "You know where Porlyusica lives in the eastern forest, right?" Reedus simply nodded his head in response. "She may have some type of medicine to cure petrification. Can you go speak to her for me?"

"Right! I'm on it!" Reedus said, before her ran out of the guild hall.

"Alright, I think we've stood around long enough Salamander." Gajeel said, placing a strong hand on Natsu's shoulder. "I know you don't want to leave your mates here, I sure as shit don't want to leave Levy while she's in this state, but we can't set them free unless we beat these assholes."

"*Sigh* You're right, it's time we head out." Natsu said, as he took one last look at the petrified girls on the stage. _"Don't worry Lucy, Erza, Juvia, and Mira. I will save you all." _Turning away from stage, Natsu made his way towards the guild's entrance, with Gajeel right at his side. Natsu cracked his knuckles, a fierce look in his eyes. "Let's get out there and kick Laxus' a-" Natsu was cut off mid-sentence when he and Gajeel simultaneously slammed face-first into an invisible barrier. Both dragon slayers fell onto their asses, clutching their sore noses. "OW! What the fuck is this?!"

"Why the fuck can't we walk through this damn door!?" Gajeel roared, charging into the invisible barrier with his shoulder. "I've got some serious fucking frustration I need to vent, and Laxus' face is the perfect punching bag!"

"Calm down you idiots!" Makarov exclaimed, as he slapped Natsu and Gajeel upside the head. "There's a barrier surrounding the guild...but it is strange that it's keeping you two trapped here. It's only supposed to work on stone statues and those over 80 years old."

"That's a load of bull, I sure as shit ain't over 80!" Gajeel exclaimed, huffing and crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe this barrier is defective or something."

"Well for whatever reason you two are stuck here..." Makarov muttered, as he stroked his chin. "This situation just keeps getting more frustrating by the moment."

"Sorry jii-chan, but I can't just sit around on my ass and let all the others fight..." Natsu said, walking back up to the guild's front door. Coating his arm in searing blue flames, Natsu cocked his fist back. "I'm busting through this damn barrier! Then I'm gonna kick the shit out of Laxus!"

"Wait you idiot! There's no way-" Makarov's warning was too late and Natsu had intention of listening to him. The pink-haired dragon slayer's flame coated fist launched forward. Natsu's flaming fist collided with the barrier and sent out a small shockwave. But just as Makarov had predicted, the barrier seemed completely fine. "See I told-" Once again Makarov was cut off when Natsu let a roar of defiance, increasing the amount of flames coursing off his arm. As Natsu continued to push against the barrier, Makarov's eyes widened when he spotted several thin cracks starting to spread outwards from where Natsu's fist was hitting. "I...I don't believe it...he's actually...breaking Freed's enchantment? Just how strong has Natsu become?" The cracks slowly began to further extend outwards, growing larger in size. Eventually the cracks filled the entire doorway, and it seemed like Natsu was actually going to destroy the barrier. But the dual dragon slayer was expending magic far too quickly and he was rapidly losing steam. Moments later the flames around Natsu's arm began to die down, before burning out completely. Standing on shaky legs for a few moments, Natsu eventually collapsed to the ground, panting heavily and covered in sweat.

"God *Pant* damn it *Pant* I *Pant* almost had it..." Natsu struggled to say, catching his breath.

"You alright Salamander?" Gajeel asked, as he crouched down next to Natsu. "Cause you look like shit right now."

"Yeah, I just used way too much magic too quickly." Natsu said, wiping the sweat off his brow and slowly getting back onto his feet. However, Natsu stumbled and almost feel back down, but he was caught by Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer lifted Natsu up and helped him over to a nearby table. With a huff Natsu plopped down onto the seat. "Thanks Gajeel."

"Don't mention it Salamander." Gajeel said, as he sat on top of the table next to the Natsu. "But that was pretty damn impressive, you almost smashed through that barrier."

"Yeah...but it looks like it was all for nothing." Natsu muttered, watching as the barrier quickly repaired itself, the cracks disappearing entirely. "I'll give it to Freed, that is one tough fucking barrier."

* * *

(Same Time: Unknown Location Within Magnolia)

"BWAH!" Freed panted, as sweat dripped off his brow. The green-haired member of the Raijinshū clutched his head, as he experienced a severe headache. "Damn it!"

"What's wrong Freed?" Evergreen asked, placing a hand on the green-haired man's shoulder. "You started acting weird all of a sudden. Are you in pain?"

"Someone...almost broke through my barrier..." Freed said in between breaths, which shocked both Evergreen and Bickslow.

"How can that be possible?!" Evergreen exclaimed, her eyes widening. "The only ones who should still be in the guild are Makarov and those petrified girls."

"I don't know myself...but it took all my strength to keep that barrier intact..." Freed said, as he slowly shook his head. "But I do know that whoever tried to break through my barrier must be incredibly powerful."

* * *

(Same Time: With Alzack, Jet, and Droy)

"Did you find anything Alzack!?" Jet exclaimed, running up to the cowboy, with Droy trailing right behind him.

"I haven't found shit!" Alzack replied, as he stomped his foot in frustration. "How about you guys?!"

"We haven't found a trace." Droy answered, shaking his head.

"RAGH! Those bastards! I'll never forgive Laxus and those other assholes for doing that to Bisca!" Alzack yelled, as he kicked over a stack of crates.

"O-Oi, calm down Alzack!" Droy said, trying to quell the cowboy's anger.

"How the hell can I calm down!?" Alzack shot back, as he whipped around to face Jet and Droy. "If we don't find and beat Laxus in the next three hours-" Alzack stopped mid-rant when he noticed symbols encircling them. "What the hell is this now?!" The symbols began to glow brightly, before two barriers materialized, trapping the three mages. "An enchantment! You've gotta be kidding me?!"

"So that bastard Freed put up enchantment traps up all over the city..." Jet said, staring down at the symbols on the ground. "Then we should definitely take him out first."

"Guys..." Droy said, as he got Jet and Alzack's attention. "We have a problem."

"What are you-" Jet stopped talking when he spotted writing appear on the barrier in front of them. "Rule: Only the strongest mages trapped within may escape...you're joking right...are they expecting us to fight amongst ourselves?"

"That's cheating Freed!" Droy exclaimed, shaking his fist in the air.

"I'm sorry guys..." Alzack muttered, as he aimed his magic revolvers at Jet and Droy. "I have to save Bisca. I can't afford to be waisting any time."

* * *

(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

"What's this now..." Makarov said to himself, noticing that words were appearing on the barrier that was blocking their exit. "Battle of Fairy Tail progress report...what does that mean?" Just then another series of words materialized on the barrier. Makarov's eyes widened when he read the progress report. "Jet vs. Droy vs. Alzack...What the hell is going on here?!"

"Why are they fighting amongst themselves?" Natsu asked, as he walked up next to Makarov. "This isn't the time to be bickering with each other." Moments later the progress report changed once again. "Alzack...beat both Jet and Droy? And there's only 81 members of Fairy Tail that can still fight?" Natsu tightly balled his fists, as he reread the progress report. "Just what the hell is going on here?"

"This...this can't be right..." Makarov said in a shaky voice, seeing dozens of similar progress updates popping up on the barrier. "Stop this! Stop fighting amongst yourselves you fools?!"

"What the hell are they doing?!" Gajeel growled, as he slammed his fist into a wall. "There has to be a reason they're all fighting each other!"

"There must be enchantment traps spread all throughout the city...and the people who get stuck in them have to fight each other." Happy explained, watching as the number of remaining Fairy Tail members seemed to be dropping by the second. "This is probably what Laxus mean by the Battle of Fairy Tail."

"NGHH! That son of a bitch!" Natsu growled, as he pressed his hand against the invisible barrier. "I need to get out there!"

"You need to calm down Natsu." Makarov said, extending a hand onto Natsu's shoulder. "Nobody seems to be thinking straight out there. Our comrades' lives are on the line right now, so we can't have you losing your cool too. At the rate we're going, everyone who's petrified will turn to dust, and they'll never come back."

"*Sigh* Jii-chan...Laxus may be a massive ass that seemingly lives to put other people down, and he never ceases to piss me off, but I don't think he'll really kill anyone. I'm definitely worried about the girls, but I don't think they're in any immediate danger. Laxus is just using them as bartering chips right now, which irritates the hell out of me." Natsu said, much to Makarov and Gajeel's surprise. "He can seem like the world's biggest piece of shit sometimes, but he's still a member of our guild." Crossing his arms over his chest, a grin spread across Natsu's face. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still gonna kick the everliving shit out of him for touching a hair on those girl's heads, it's the least he deserves."

_"Natsu..." _Makarov thought, staring at the pink-haired dragon slayer in shock. _"All these years you and Laxus have constantly been at each other's throats, but deep down you still considered him a comrade, even now after everything he's done. You actually believe he wouldn't go that far..." _Gritting his teeth, Makarov balled his fists. _"I just..." _Before Makarov could finish his thought, a new progress report flashed onto the barrier, and Makarov's eyes widened once he read it. _"Forty-two remaining?! Just through nakama fighting each other...there's already less then half left..." _

* * *

(With Reedus: Eastern Outskirts of Magnolia)

"*Huff* The eastern forest...the eastern forest..." Reedus repeated to himself, as he ran in towards where Porlyusica's home was. "I have to find Porlyusica-san's house...I have to get out of the city..." But just before Reedus could leave the city limits, he ran into an invisible barrier blocking of the town's exit. "What the...Don't tell me there's an enchantment around the entire town!?" Reedus' eyes widened when he felt an ominous magical presence approaching. Spinning around, Reedus spotted magical characters gathering in front of him.

"I will not allow any violation of my laws. The incident we had earlier was startling enough." Freed's disembodied voice echoed out, the magical characters beginning to circle in a specific spot.

"W-What's this...the characters are..." Reedus said, as a pair of legs began to form from the characters.

"Laxus made it abundantly clear." Freed said, suddenly appearing in front of Reedus. "That the battlefield is to be Magnolia, and only Magnolia." Freed pointed at Reedus, magical characters swirling around his extended finger. "If you're a mage then fight. Show me your true power. That I decree as law."

* * *

(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

"We're dropping like flies out there..." Makarov grunted, as he watched new progress updates project onto the barrier. "Damn it...looks like Elfman was just defeated by Evergreen."

"Even that mountain of a man was defeated..." Gajeel muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Things aren't looking good right now."

"And it looks like Gray is fighting Bickslow right now." Natsu added, as he glared at the words on the barrier. "Looks like the Raijinshū is finally making their move."

"No..." Makarov said, watching as the number of combatants went down once again. "They took out Reedus...this isn't good, it would have been quite the advantage to have Porlyusica helping us."

"It's fine jii-chan." Natsu said, as he walked up next to Makarov. "Like I said, Laxus is just bluffing."

"Oho? You think I'm bluffing, Natsu?" A familiar voice said from behind the dual dragon slayer. Whipping around, everyone was surprised to see Laxus crackle into the room.

"Laxus!" Natsu exclaimed, instantly coating his fists in orange lightning. "Did you just come here to taunt us?!"

"Calm down Natsu..." Happy said, as he flew up next to the pink-haired dragon slayer. "That's just a magic projection."

"Oi, what the hell are you two idiots still doing here?" Laxus asked, glancing back and forth from Natsu to Gajeel. "Shouldn't you guys be out there fighting?"

"We would be, but this damn barrier your lackey put up is keeping us trapped here for some reason." Gajeel growled, as he slammed his fist against the invisible barrier.

"Laxus, just stop this foolishness already." Makarov urged, stepping towards the imposing man. "This has gone too far."

"Your nakama...no you usually call them 'brats' don't you." Laxus said, as he smirked at Makarov. "Well, tell me how it feels to watch your brats beat each other into the ground. With Erza, Natsu, and Gajeel out of the picture, I guess there's nobody out there with the power to stand up against the Raijinshū. So old man...do you surrender?"

"There's still Gray!" Natsu exclaimed, glaring at Laxus. "The ice princess is pretty damn strong! He'd never lose to the Raijinshū! I won''t expect anything less from my rival!"

"Hah, you're pinning all your hopes on that weakling?" Laxus asked, as he laughed haughtily. "Then I hope your prepared to have those hopes dashed!"

"I wouldn't underestimate Gray if I were you Laxus." Makarov said, doing his best to look confident, but on the inside he was full of worry. _"Please Gray! We need you pull off a miracle!" _

* * *

(Five Minutes Earlier: Magnolia's Shopping District)

"Where the hell are these bastards?" Gray muttered to himself, as he walked through an abandoned clothing store. "I've been searching all over for these guys and I haven't found anything yet." However, Gray would get his wish when he peaked past a rack of clothes, spotting one of the people he was searching for. "So this is where you were hiding?"

"AH! It's Gray!" Bickslow cheered, letting out a boisterous laugh. "Hey...how about we have some fun?!"

"If you consider getting your ass kicked fun, then I'm all in." Gray said, as he slid into a fighting stance, ice flakes swirling around him.

"YAHOO! I can tell this gonna be a blast!" Bickslow exclaimed, charging towards Gray without warning. Laughing manically, Bickslow attempted a low sweep to kick out Gray's legs. But, the Gray reacted quickly and jumped over Bickslow's kick. "YEAH!" Raising his arm, Bickslow's wooden dolls gathered in front of him. "Fly, my babies!" Mimicking Bickslow's maniacal laughter, the wooden dolls quickly encircled Gray. Moments later the wooden dolls began to fire magical beams at Gray.

"Damn it, these things are annoying!" Gray grunted, as he struggled to dodge the rapid firing lasers.

"**Line Formation**!" Bickslow commanded, his wooden dolls quickly stacking on top of each other. The dolls' eyes began to glow, firing a large vertical beam at Gray. The ice mage's eyes widened for a moment, before he dodged the laser, using a nearby mannequin to spring into the air. "HA! You're not bad for a punk, Gray! Now my babies, **Victory Formation**!" However, Bickslow was surprised when his babies didn't follow his orders. Bickslow quickly quickly turned to where his wooden dolls should have been. "What's wrong, babies?!" Bickslow gasped when he saw that his babies were frozen completely solid. "What!? When did he-" Bickslow was cut off when Gray sprang into action, smashing his knee into the armored man's face. Head snapping, Bickslow collapsed to the ground.

"**Ice Make: Hammer**!" Gray exclaimed, as tightly balled his fist, causing massive hammer formed from solid ice appearing over Bickslow. Gray slammed his fist into his palm, making the ice hammer fall towards Bickslow.

"**X Formation**!" Bickslow ordered, forming an 'X' with his arms. Gray was was shocked when four mannequins gathered around Bickslow and stopped the ice hammer from hitting him. "Phew! That was a close one!"

"What!? But I froze your wooden dolls!" Gray said, as he grit his teeth in frustration. "Just what the hell is going on here!?"

"My magic '**human possession**,' allows me to implant souls into my dolls." Bickslow explained with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "You can freeze their bodies all you like, but you can't freeze their souls. I can simply transfer them into new bodies whenever I want."

"Then I guess I'll just have to freeze you instead!" Gray exclaimed, as he charged towards Bickslow, ice shards swirling around hands.

"Come and catch me if you can!" Bickslow cheered with his tongue lolled out, before turning around and running out of the clothing store.

"Oi! You're not getting away!" Gray yelled, as he attempted to freeze Bickslow in place. But his attempts were stopped when several mannequin blocked his attack. "You son of a bitch! Stop running away!" Without a second thought, Gray began to chase Bickslow through the streets of Magnolia. "Stop right there, Bickslow!" Bickslow merely laughed maniacally in response, taking a sharp turn down a narrow alley. "Damn...this asshole." Turning into the alley, Gray was surprised to see that Bickslow wasn't there. "Where did he-"

"Where ya lookin buddy!? I'm up here Gray!" Looking up, Gray's eyes widened when saw Bickslow high above, doing the splits to hold himself up.

"What the hell are you trying to pull?" Gray growled, as he balled his fists. "Why did you take me on this wild goose chase through town?"

"I told you didn't I?" Bickslow asked, taunting Gray by sticking out his tongue. "I just want to play! My babies want to join as well!"

"What the hell are you babbling-" Gray stopped mid-sentence when he noticed magical characters appear on the ground around him. "An enchantment!?" Gray felt his heart sink when he what appeared on the barrier. _"Until this battle is over, those trapped in this barrier may not use magic..." _Lowering his head, Gray tightly balled his fists. "So all that running around was to lead into some cheap trap?"

"It's times like these that remote-control type magic really comes in handy!" Bickslow said with a grin, just as two mannequins appeared in the entrance to the alley. "Looks like this battle is over, Gray. It was fun while it lasted."

"Shit! The mannequins!" Gray exclaimed, as he instinctively raised his arm to try and freeze the dolls. However, Gray quickly remembered that he couldn't use his magic because of the barrier. The ice mage's eyes widened when the mannequins fired beams of magical energy at him. Gritting his teeth in frustration, all Gray could do was raise his arms and try to block some of the magical beam. Gray released a pained scream when the beams hit him, encasing his body and most of the alley is smoke.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Bickslow laughed manically, staring down into the dust and debris. "That's too bad for you, man! I guess even the great Gray is useless without his-" Bickslow stopped when he saw a silhouette burst out of the smoke and leap towards him. "That's not possible!"

"I'm not going down before I've landed another hit!" Gray roared, as he smashed his fist into Bickslow's face, sending both mages crashing to the ground.

"Damn, that kid has a solid right hook..." Bickslow grumbled, rubbing his sore cheek before he got back onto his feet. "But I will admit that was pretty impressive...still getting up after taking all that damage from my babies..." With a smirk on his face, Bickslow walked over to Gray's motionless form. Bickslow crouched down next to Gray and prodded him with his finger. After a few moments of not receiving a response, Bickslow's smirk widened. "Well, whaddaya know...the fight's already over!"

* * *

(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

"No way..." Natsu breathed out, as he read the latest progress update several times over. The dual dragon slayer's shoulders were slightly shaking, as he tightly clenched his fists. "Gray...lost..."

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Laxus laughed boisterously, pointing at Natsu. "What the hell did I tell you idiots!? That punk is such a weakling!"

"No way!" Happy exclaimed, as he flew up next to Natsu. "You guys pulled some type of dirty trick! None of you are fighting fair!"

"So, who's going to defeat the Raijinshū now?" Laxus asked in a cocky tone, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We've still got Natsu and Gajeel!" Happy said, as he gestured to both dragon slayers. "They'll beat all of you!"

"And what are they going to do shut up in this place?" Laxus questioned with a smirk, stopping Happy in his tracks.

"All right...that's enough." Makarov said, as he hung his head, releasing a heavy sigh. "I surrender. So stop this useless violence, Laxus."

"Jii-chan!" Natsu snapped, whipping around to face Makarov. "You can't just give up so easily!"

"Enough Natsu...there's no point-"

"He's right, this just won't do." Laxus said, as he sneered at Makarov. "I can't accept the great master of Fairy Tail being so pathetic and accepting his defeat this easily. No...No, if you really want to resign...you do it after you hand over the title of master of Fairy Tail to me."

"That's a dirty fucking trick Laxus!" Natsu growled, slamming an electrified fist into a nearby wall. "Stop these damn games and fight me like a man! Or are you so scared of me that you have to run off and hide like a pussy?!"

"You better watch your tongue Natsu." Laxus said, as he glared at the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Keep this up and I'll have Evergreen kill those girls right now."

"You son of a bitch..." Natsu snarled, tightly balling his fists. "I'm gonna make you pay for threatening my nakama."

"Why you...so that's what you were after..." Makarov muttered, as he hung his head.

"There's just an hour and a half until those women crumble to dust." Laxus pointed out, a twisted smirk on his face. "You better start thinking, because the clock is ticking! If you want all of this to end, all you have to do is use the guild's megaphone and announce to the whole town that Fairy Tail's new master is me. What's more important to you old man? You position, or the lives of your guild members?"

"Just get the fuck out of here!" Natsu roared, hurling a large ball of blue fire at Laxus, causing the projection fizzle and disappear. Panting slightly, Natsu sat down at the closest table. "That bastard..."

"Natsu, that was just a thought projection." Happy said, as he sat on the table next to Natsu.

"I know buddy, but I couldn't stand listening to that guy's voice any longer." Natsu said, running his hands through his wild pink hair. "He was seriously pissing me off."

"Tch, I can't stand this asshole." Gajeel muttered, as he sat at the table across from Natsu. "Everything he does irritates me."

"To be honest, I wouldn't mind stepping down as master." Makarov said, surprising both Natsu and Gajeel. "However...I cannot trust the future of Fairy Tail in Laxus' hands. He is far too lacking in both conviction and heart. He has no right to take this seat from me."

"But at this rate..." Happy said, as he turned his head to look at the petrified female fairies on the stage. "They'll all be turned to dust."

"This is really bad..." Natsu said, watching as the number of combatants still fighting started to plummet drastically. "Alzack...Nab...they're all dropping like flies..." The pink-haired dragon slayer's eyes widened in shock when the number stopped dropping. "Two? There's only two people left?" Turning his head, Natsu locked eyes with Gajeel. "Looks like we're the only ones left standing."

"Yeah, but we can't do shit when we're stuck in here." Gajeel grumbled, as he drummed his fingers on the table. "We're running out of options here Salamander."

_"Have all of my children fallen because of friend fighting friend, and the Raijinshū __mopping up the rest?!" _Makarov thought, tightly balling his fists. _"We have no mages left to fight...is this really the end?" _

"Alright, things are looking desperate and we've got no plans." Natsu said, as he stood up from his seat and made his way onto the stage. "Looks like I've got no other choice."

"What are you planning to do Natsu?" Makarov asked, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.

"I'm going to revive Erza." Natsu said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "The stone should come off if I burn it, right?"

"What are you talking about you idiot!?" Makarov exclaimed, storming over to the stage. "You might end up killing her!"

"We won't know unless we try!" Natsu cheered with a grin, as he pressed his flaming blue hands against Erza's shoulders. _"Don't worry jii-chan, my magic can't hurt Erza any more." _Natsu's blue flames quickly encased Erza's entire body, bathing her in the intense fire. For several moments nothing seemed to be happening, but as soon as Natsu began to pump out more magic a bright light began to glow on the crook of Erza's neck. _"The mate mark?! It must be reacting to my magic! Okay Erza, come back to me!" _Natsu pushed out even more flames, the fire was so harsh that everyone else present had to shield themselves from the heat. _"Come on, Erza! I need you by my side!" _Moments later, the stone encasing Erza began to crack.

"Hold up Natsu!" Makarov exclaimed, watching as the cracks began to spread. "She's going to fall apart!" Makarov tried to rush onto the stage, but he was stopped when someone grabbed his shoulder. Whipping his head around, Makarov was surprised to see that it was Gajeel who had stopped him. "Gajeel, what are you-"

"Just slow down for a second ya old geezer." Gajeel said with a smirk, gesturing back towards the stage. "Cause you're about to see something amazing."

_"Come on, Erza! We need your help!" _Natsu thought, as he tightened his grip on the scarlet-haired knight's shoulders. Leaning down and closing his eyes, Natsu pressed his head against Erza's. However, Natsu was surprised when instead of stone, he felt his face sink into something much softer. The dual dragon slayer's eyes shot open and he saw that his face was now buried in Erza's strawberry scented hair. Natsu instantly stopped his flames and hugged his mate tightly. "Erza! You're back!"

"W-What?" Erza murmured in a confused tone, gazing at her surroundings. "I remember Evergreen turning me to stone, then everything went dark for so long. But all of a sudden I felt this incredible warmth wrap around me and take all my worries away." It was then that Erza noticed that someone holding her. Tilting her head back, the scale-haired knight wasn't surprised to see that she was in Natsu's arms. A smile spread across Erza's face, as she pressed her head against Natsu's chest. "I guess I have you to thank for saving me."

"Well I couldn't just abandon my knight when she's in trouble." Natsu said with a grin, as he hugged Erza a little tighter.

"Erza..." Makarov said in a shocked tone, as he walked onto the stage. "How did this happen?"

"I don't really know myself..." Erza said, gently getting out of Natsu's grasp and standing back onto her feet. "Perhaps it had to do with my right eye...and a little help from Natsu." With a small smile, Erza placed a hand over her mate mark. _"Master doesn't need to know about us just yet." _

_"Of course! That makes sense!" _Makarov thought, as he nodded his head. _"Since half the magic was taken in through her artificial eye, the effect was halved!"_

"Erza, do you understand the situation?" Happy asked, flying up next to Erza. "Because we're in a really tight spot right now."

"Yes, I was able to overhear everything." Erza replied, as she crossed her arms underneath her chest. "And I'm not too pleased with Laxus' attitude."

_"Yes, we can do this!" _Makarov thought, a grin spreading across his face. _"Now's our time to strike back!" _

"But before I head out..." Erza said with a smile, tapping Natsu on the shoulder and gesturing towards Lucy. "Since you freed the knight, you might as well free the princess too."

"Heh, you're right." Natsu said with a chuckle, as he walked over to Lucy, his hands coated in bright blue flames. "Time to free you too Luce!"

* * *

**And done! I felt that this was a good stopping point, and we'll really have things start to ramp up next chapter! Will Natsu be able to free Lucy from her stone prison? Will Fairy Tail finally be able to mount their counter attack? Find out in the next chapter, which will pick up right where this one left off. Well this arc is really getting underway, and things aren't looking good for Fairy Tail. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I should hopefully have the next chapter out soon. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed this fic, PLEASE REVIEW (Come on guys, there's almost 2,000 of you reading this fic, we should be able to get more than 30ish reviews for each chapter. I really want to hear your feedback), PM me any ideas you have for any of my fics, and check out my profile and other fics if you haven't already. So until next time, I'm outta here!" **


	34. Chapter 34 Freeing the Trapped Maidens

**Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter for this fic. Sorry this took a little longer than I had planned, but it's finally here. This chapter will pick up right where the previous chapter left off and will really get this arc under way. I'm glad to see that pretty much all of you enjoyed the previous chapter, which makes me especially happy because I really enjoyed writing that chapter. I was also happy to see that we got a few more reviews than usual last chapter, but I would still love to see some more. So let's see if we can try to break 1,000 reviews with this chapter. This story has also officially passed 2,000 followers and my mind is fucking blow! Thank you all for sticking with my story! **

**P.S. Have any of you been watching anything from E3? Some really great games have already been announced from the Xbox and Bethesda conferences. The games that really caught my attention were Metro Exodus (I fucking loved the past two Metro games, so I'm so damn pumped for a new entry in the series), Assassin's Creed: Origins (I love the Assassin's Creed series and this new game looks awesome), Wolfenstein 2 The New Colossus (I really enjoyed Wolfenstein the New Order and the Old Blood, so I'm pretty exited for this new game), Creation Club for Fallout 4 and Skyrim Special Edition look really cool, Star Wars Battlefront 2 (If you scored games exclusively on graphics alone this game would get a 20/10. DICE has stated that there's 3x the amount of content in this new game, so that's got me excited. But after the mess that was the previous Star Wars Battlefront, I'm gonna stay cautiously optimistic for now), and Dishonored 2 The Death of the Outsider (Dishonored 2 is an amazing game, and this standalone expansion sounds pretty damn awesome). If you've been keeping up with E3 let me know what games have caught your attention. **

**Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic.**

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Before I head out..." Erza said with a smile, tapping Natsu on the shoulder and gesturing towards Lucy. "Since you freed the knight, you might as well free the princess too."

"Heh, you're right." Natsu said with a chuckle, as he walked over to Lucy, his hands coated in bright blue flames. "Time to set you free too Luce!" Just like he did for Erza, Natsu pressed his flaming hands against Lucy's petrified form, encasing her entire body in intense blue fire. Everyone present watched in awe as Natsu continued to pump out more and more fire; Erza wasn't affected by the searing flames, but Gajeel, Happy, and Makarov needed to shield themselves from the scorching heat. _"Alright Luce, let's get you out of there!" _As Natsu coated Lucy in more of his magic, he noticed that the mate mark on the crook of her neck was starting to glow brightly. A grin spread across Natsu's face, as he wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist and pressed his head against hers. The stone trapping Lucy began to crack and crumble away, and eventually Natsu could feel her skin underneath his hands and could smell her intoxicating vanilla scent. After being encased in stone for so long, Lucy's legs immidiately gave out when she was freed, but Natsu reacted quickly and gently lowered the dazed girl to the ground. "Welcome back, Luce."

"H-Huh?" Lucy muttered, clutching her throbbing head. "What's going on?"

"Laxus and his lackeys are using some dirty tricks and trying to get master to step down." Erza explained, as she crouched down next to the blonde celestial spirit mage. "They're holding most of the girls hostage. But luckily Natsu managed to free you and I."

"N-Natsu did?" Lucy asked in a slightly dazed tone, turning her head around. The blonde celestial spirit mage smiled weakly when she saw that Natsu was holding onto her. "Of course he did."

"Could you hear everything that was happening, Lucy?" Happy asked, as he flew up next to the busty blonde mage.

"Not really." Lucy replied, slowly shaking her head. "Anything I could hear was really muffled and distorted. The last thing I remember was that bitch Evergreen ruining my performance before I could even start, then everything just went black." Reaching back, Lucy gently grasped one of Natsu's hands. "But all of a sudden I felt this incredible warmth begin to comfort me, kinda like I was being covered by the world's best blanket."

"That's incredible..." Makarov muttered, as he stroked his chin. "I can't believe Natsu managed to free Lucy as well...do you think you could free all the other girls as well, Natsu?"

"Sorry jii-chan." Natsu replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm kinda running out of juice right now. I don't think I have enough magic left in me to free anyone else." Chuckling nervously, Natsu turned his head to avoid Makarov's suspicious gaze. _"I can't tell him that I was only able to free Erza and Lucy because of their mate marks." _

"*Sigh* That's a shame..." Makarov grumbled, as he ran a hand over his balding head. "Well at least we have some extra manpower now. Good work, Natsu."

"Hmmm, this quite the clever setup." Erza said, inspecting the progress report displayed on the barrier. "Now that Lucy and I have been freed the remaining combatants has increased to four."

"Wait...why haven't you two gone out there to fight?" Lucy asked, as she gestured to Natsu and Gajeel. "I thought you both would be the most fired up to fight Laxus and his cronies."

"We would but..." Natsu muttered in an embarrassed tone, turning his head as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"This stupid fucking barrier is keeping us trapped here." Gajeel growled, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Salamander tried to bust through it earlier, and the bastard almost did it, but this thing is incredibly strong."

_"That's not good..." _Lucy thought, as she gazed at both dragon slayers. _"Next to Erza, Natsu and Gajeel are our best bets for beating Laxus." _Releasing a light sigh, Lucy sat on the nearest table. "It's a shame that Levy-chan is still encased in stone, because she mentioned that she was pretty good at dealing with runes and enchantments."

"Then that's even more of a reason for us to free Levy..." Gajeel said, resting his head on his fist. The iron dragon slayer soon realized that everyone's eyes were now on him, especially Natsu who had a mischievous grin on his face. Quickly realizing his mistake, Gajeel's face turned beat red in embarrassment. "I-I mean we should hurry up and rescue all the girls! Not just Levy!"

_"I guess Natsu was right about Levy-chan being Gajeel's mate." _Lucy thought with small smile, as she tried to suppress her giggles. _"I thought he was just a huge asshole, but I guess Gajeel really has changed a lot since he came here. It looks like he becomes a big softie when he mentions Levy-chan. If being around Natsu has taught me anything, it's that dragon slayers can't fake their feelings when it comes to their mates. Those two may have had rough start, but I'm sure that they can eventually push past that, and I know that Gajeel can protect Levy-chan."_

"Hey guys!" Happy exclaimed, pointing towards the progress report. "The number of combatants is changing again!"

"It...went up again?" Gajeel muttered in a confused tone, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Who the hell could it be?"

"Yeah, everyone else is still frozen in stone." Natsu pointed out, walking up next to Erza. Turning his head, Natsu was surprised to see a smirk on the scarlet-haired knight's face. "What's up, Erza? Do you have an idea who it could be?"

"It looks like that man has decided to take part in this battle..." Erza replied cryptically, as she nodded her head.

* * *

(Same Time: Central Magnolia, Kardia Cathedral)

"Oho, looks like things are starting to get interesting." Laxus muttered, watching a live feed of a tall, hooded figure entering Magnolia. "Erza was somehow revived, and now Mystogan is here as well...Including me, that makes all three of us Fairy Tail's top fighters...I guess it's a good thing Gildarts isn't going to be a factor, because he would've been a huge thorn in my side..." As Laxus continued to monitor the live progress reports, a smirk spread across his face. "Heh, looks like they managed to revive that blonde bimbo as well...well whatever, she'll just be another casualty soon enough."

* * *

(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

"Why do I have the sudden urge to tear Laxus' balls off?" Natsu muttered to himself, as he suddenly coated his hands in coursing orange lightning.

"Calm down Salamander." Gajeel said, leaning against a nearby wall. "You'll get your chance to kick Laxus' ass soon enough."

"Alright, I'm ready to go." Erza announced, as she stood in front of the guild's front door. "Are you ready Lucy?"

"Yeah, I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Lucy replied with a hint of nervousness in her voice, walking up next to Erza. "Let's just get this over with."

"You'll be fine out there Lucy." Erza said with a small smile, as she placed a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder. "You're much stronger than you think."

"Thanks Erza." Lucy said, a slight blush spreading across her face.

"Okay, when we're out there Lucy I'll track down Evergreen and take her out. Once she's dealt with all the other girls will be saved." Erza explained, as she equipped her normal armor. "You should try to find Bickslow and fight him."

"What about Freed?" Lucy asked, quirking an eyebrow. "If we defeat him we can take this barrier down."

"You're not wrong Lucy, but Freed is definitely the strongest member of the Raijinshū." Erza said, as her eyes narrowed slightly. "He could even give me a tough time. So you should avoid him if you can. Once Levy is saved she can break Freed's barrier."

"I understand." Lucy said, nodding her head in agreement. "I take out Bickslow."

"You two stay safe out there, and watch out for Freed's traps." Natsu said, as he walked up to both girls. "And most importantly..." A toothy grin spread across Natsu's face. "Kick some ass."

"Well of course." Erza said with a smirk, resting her hands on her hips.

"We wouldn't be your mates if we couldn't handle ourselves." Lucy said with a grin of her own, as she twirled her gate keys around her index finger.

"You better get moving girls." Makarov said, walking up with his hands clasped behind his back. "We're running out of time."

"Yes master!" Lucy and Erza exclaimed simultaneously, before they both dashed out of the guild hall.

"Let's hope they can complete their objectives in time." Makarov muttered, releasing a light sigh.

"Are you sure about this Salamander?" Gajeel asked, as he sat down next to Natsu. "Letting your mates go out there and fight by themselves."

"Of course I'm worried about them..." Natsu said, tightly balling his fists. After a few moments Natsu unclenched his fists and a smile spread across his face. "But I know that Luce and Erza are very strong...they'll get the job done."

* * *

(Five Minutes Later: Streets of Magnolia)

"Where is she hiding?" Erza said to herself, as she sprinted through a street full of people and stalls selling various goods. "Evergreen has to be around here somewhere."

"Erza-chan, what's up?" A stall owner asked, watching as the scarlet-haired knight sprinted past his cart. "Why are you in such a rush?"

"And it seems like a bunch of your guild mates have been fighting all over town." The stall owner's wife said, as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I must apologize, we're preparing for the Fantasia parade." Erza replied, turning to smile at the stall owner. "Please look forward to the big event!"

"Of course we will!" The stall owner called out, as he waved to Erza.

"I know she's around here somewhere." Erza said, her nose wrinkling as she took a moment to sniff the air. "I can smell her cheap perfume." As Erza rounded a sharp corner, her ears perked as she heard something rapidly approaching from behind her. Diving to the right, Erza saw that several spears of light impaled into the ground where she had previously been standing. Looking upwards, Erza wasn't surprised to see Evergreen standing on a nearby rooftop. "There she is."

"How dare you call my perfume cheap." Evergreen growled, as her brow twitched in irritation.

"That's what you're worried about?" Erza asked, getting back onto her feet and dusting herself off.

"No, I'm more concerned about how you managed to de-petrify yourself." Evergreen said, as she unfolded one of her fans. "And I was also wondering who it was who almost destroyed Freed's barrier." The only response Evergreen received from Erza was a fierce glare. Shrugging her shoulders, a smirk spread across Evergreen's face. "Well I guess it doesn't really matter. This makes things much more interesting."

"Enough of your childish games Evergreen." Erza said, sliding into a fighting stance. "Free all the girls back at the guild, or I'm going to have to hurt you."

"You know, you've always irritated me...calling yourself Titania." Evergreen said, as her eyes narrowed menacingly. "I am the only queen of the fairies!"

"*Sigh* Fine, I guess you leave me no choice then." Erza said, equipping two swords into her hands. Before Erza could attack Evergreen, the scarlet-haired knight watched as the female member of the Raijinshū leaped into the air, doing several spins and spreading a power-like substance. "What is this...dust?" The scarlet-haired knight's eyes widened when she saw a devious smirk spread across Evergreen's face.

"**Fairy Bomb: Gremlin**!" Evergreen exclaimed, as she ignited the powder that surrounded Erza, causing a massive fireball. Landing on a water tower, Evergreen admired the explosion she had created. However, Evergreen wasn't surprised when Erza suddenly burst out of the cloud of smoke, completely unscathed. Leaping into the air, Evergreen barely managed to dodge Erza's swords, which sliced clean through the water tower. "Hah! That's Erza for you!"

"It wasn't very bright of you to show up first..." Erza said, leaping across the rooftops as she chased after Evergreen. "If I defeat you I can save all the girls back at the guild!"

"It's quite amusing that you think you can do that." Evergreen said with a smirk, as she raised her glasses, her eyes glowing. "I'll just turn you back to stone!"

"That's not gonna work a second time!" Erza exclaimed, closing her left eye and only leaving her artificial right eye open. Evergreen's eyes widened when she saw that Erza wasn't turning to stone. The self-proclaimed queen of the fairies leaned back and barely managed to dodge a series of slashes from Erza's swords. Landing on a rooftop, Evergreen did several backflips to put some distance between herself and Erza.

"I see now...that's how you managed to escape...I had no idea that you had an artificial eye." Evergreen said, as she came to a stop at the other end of the roof. Forming an 'X' with her arms, the air around Evergreen began to glimmer. "Then I suppose I'll have to use a different kind of magic. **Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun**!" Thousands of needles made from magical energy formed around Evergreen, before firing at Erza. "Let's see if you can dodge my torrent of needles."

_"I've been working on enhancing my senses even further with Natsu, so let's give them real test drive!" _Erza thought with a smirk, charging into the flurry of needles without a second thought. As the scarlet-haired knight neared the storm of needles, she focused some of her magic into the mate mark on the crook of her neck. For several moments everything around Erza seemed to slow down, as her senses were enhanced even further by the magic flowing through her mate mark. Colors became more vibrant, smells more pronounced, and sounds even louder. The scarlet-haired knight's eyes widened in awe, as she watched the world around her seemingly transform. _"Is this what Natsu experiences all the time? Because...this is incredible." _As Erza adjusted to her newly enhanced senses, she could now clearly see each individual needle flying at her, and could even hear them tearing through the air. With renewed confidence, Erza raised her swords and began to cut her way through Evergreen's attack. Once Erza had closed the distance, she lunged towards Evergreen. But Evergreen quickly leaped into air, sprouting fairy-like wings from her back and flying away from Erza. _"Damn it! This is gonna be a real pain in the ass!" _

"HAHA! Too slow, Erza!" Evergreen laughed, as he darted through the sky, still firing a barrage of needles at the scarlet-haired knight.

"Get back here!" Erza exclaimed, chasing after Evergreen and slashing her way through her needles. "Stop running like a coward!"

"I'm impressed that you managed to avoid all my needles. You're actually pretty good." Evergreen said, as she turned her head to look back at Erza, who was quickly gaining ground on her. "However, how well will you do if I double them?"

_"This is really starting to piss me off!" _Erza thought, watching as the number of needles being fired at her increased drastically. The scarlet-haired knight grunted with each movement, as it became even harder to dodge the needles with every passing second.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! From now on the name Titania belongs to me! I am the one true fairy!" Evergreen laughed boisterously, as she continued to taunt Erza.

"Alright! I've had enough of this stupid game!" Erza roared, reeling back and hurling one of her swords at Evergreen. The scarlet-haired knight's enhanced eyesight allowed her to throw the blade with extreme precision. The sword cut a clear path through the needles and hit Evergreen as she was still flying through the air. Erza's sword caught the fabric of Evergreen's dress, the momentum behind the blade pinning her to a nearby wall.

"I-Impossible! How did you hit me when I was flying so fast!?" Evergreen exclaimed, as she reached to grab the blade holding her in place. However, Evergreen quickly retracted her arm when two more blades impaled into the wall on both sides of her neck. One final sword came flying in and pinned Evergreen's other arm to the wall. Evergreen was shaking in her boots, as Erza placed the tip of her sword against her neck. "P-Please don't hurt me!"

"You may be an intolerable bitch, but you're still a member of Fairy Tail, and I will respect that." Erza said, lowering her blade. "If you want to call yourself Titania go ahead; I don't even know where that name came from. Now, stop this bullshit and return those girls back to normal. If you do I won't have to harm you."

"Oho, aren't you being a little naive?" Evergreen asked, as she mustered up all her remaining courage. "My **S****tone Eyes** have another power, you know...remote control." With sweat pouring of her brow, an evil grin spread across Evergreen's face. "Now yield and prostrate yourself before me! If you do not then everyone of those women will be turned to dust!"

"*Sigh* I guess it's come to this..." Erza muttered, her body becoming engulfed in bright white light. When the light died down, Erza was equipped in her **Heaven's Wheel **armor, with sword floating in the air all around her. The scarlet-haired knight had a dark look in her eyes, as she glared at Evergreen. "If that's the way you want to do it...I guess winning or losing is more important than your own life. When I kill you, I will avenge the souls of those crumbled maidens."

"W-WAIT! I SURRENDER! YOU WIN!" Evergreen screamed frantically, as her eyes widened in fear. "I'll free those girls! Just please don't kill me!" Evergreen's eyes began to glow for several moments, before they returned to normal. "See?! I just released those girls!"

"Heh...that's good to hear." Erza chuckled, a small smirk spreading across her face. Evergreen was quite confused, as Erza walked up to her. Without warning, Erza's armored fist lashed out and struck Evergreen in the face, knocking her unconscious. "Now that's how you do a real bluff..." Crouching down next to Evergreen, Erza whispered in the woman's ear. "Don't you ever threaten Lucy, or any of my nakama like that ever again, because I will not hold back next time." Standing back up, Erza re-equipped back into her normal armor. Erza breathed a sigh of relief, as she leaned against a wall. "Heheh, I really cut that one close..." Erza held a hand to her pounding head, as her vision began to blur and her hearing became muffled. "I guess my body isn't used to my senses being enhanced like that yet...I guess I need to do some more training."

* * *

(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

"I hope Erza and Lucy are alright." Happy said quietly, as he sat down next to Natsu.

"They'll be fine buddy." Natsu said with a grin, petting Happy on the head. "I'm sure Erza is finished kicking Evergreen's ass by now. The rest of the girls will be free in no time." As if on cue, Natsu heard the sound of crumbling stone behind him. "Huh, talk about perfect timing."

"That knight ain't so bad after all." Gajeel said with a smirk, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "She really did it."

"Of course she did. You should never doubt Erza. When she says she's gonna do something, she's gonna do it." Natsu explained, walking onto the stage just as all the girls returned to normal.

"Ugh, what's going on?" Mirajane asked, as she clutched her head. "What happened to me?"

"What has Juvia been doing?" Juvia muttered, slowly walking up next to Mirajane. "Everything just went dark all of a sudden."

"I'm so glad both of you are okay!" Natsu exclaimed, as he pulled both Mirajane and Juvia in for a tight hug. "I was really worried about you guys!"

"N-Natsu!" Juvia and Mirajane stammered simultaneously, both their faces burning bright red.

"Oi, don't leave me out." Cana said with a sly smirk, as she sauntered over. "Where's my hug."

"Shit, sorry about that Cana." Natsu said, releasing the flustered girls in his arms and hugging Cana. "I'm happy that you're okay as well."

"Mmm, I'm glad to be held in your big, strong arms." Cana teased, as she wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck. "You always pull through for us, right dragon boy?"

_"Cana..." _Natsu thought, a frown spreading across his face, as he held the brunette card mage a little tighter.. _"She's shaking right now...she acts tough and confident all the time, but she must have been really scared...When I have the chance I'll try to have a talk with her..." _

"Ow, my head is killing me." Levy said to herself, as she rubbed her temples.

"Oi shrimp..." Gajeel said, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked onto the stage. "You need me to get you anything?"

"Huh?" Levy said, as she quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"W-Well you know...y-you said your head was hurting..." Gajeel stuttered, rubbing the back of his head as his cheeks tinted pink. "And I still feel like I need to apologize for what I did to you and your friends."

"It's fine Gajeel." Levy said, as she smiled at the iron dragon slayer. "You already apologized to me and I'm not mad at you. Natsu explained everything to me, you were just following orders when you attacked our guild. I know now that you're not really a bad guy, you just got caught up with the wrong crowd, kinda like Juvia did."

"O-Okay then...I'm glad you don't resent me for hurting you." Gajeel said, before turning his back to Levy and walking off the stage. "Well if need anything just holler."

"I will." Levy said, as she watched Gajeel walk away. _"What a strange guy..." _As Levy continued to gaze at Gajeel, a small smile spread across her face. _"Natsu was right...he really can be a nice guy when he wants to be...and he is trying his hardest to make up for hurting us...although he is a little awkward." _'

_"Great work Erza." _Makarov thought with a grin, as he watched up the latest progress update. _"The hostages have now been freed. Laxus has lost his bargaining chips!" _

* * *

(Same Time: Kardia Cathedral)

"Damn you bastards!" Laxus growled, slamming his fist into a table and completely destroying it. "Why the hell did Ever get herself taken out by Erza!? Damn it Ever, when did you get so weak!?"

"Erza was simply too strong of an opponent." A calm voice said from behind Laxus. The leader of the Raijinshū instantly recognized the voice as Freed's. "You should have sent Bickslow or myself."

"What the hell are you doing back here, Freed?" Laxus asked, as he tightly balled his fists.

"Well...the game is over." Freed explained reluctantly, lowering his head. "With the hostage freed, master will not give in now." Freed was expecting Laxus to be upset, but he wasn't prepared for the powerful bolt of lightning that soared right passed his head. Raising his arms, Freed shielded himself from the shower of debris. "L-Laxus?"

"It's not over yet." Laxus said in a low tone, as he glared at Freed. "If you want to pussy out now, go on ahead. I don't need weaklings like that in my Fairy Tail."

* * *

(Five Minutes Later: Fairy Tail Guild Hall)

"Damn that Laxus..." Cana said, taking a sip of her beer just as Natsu and Makarov finished explaining the situation. "I can't believe he went and pulled a stupid stunt like this."

"Well either way, it's all over now." Makarov said with a smile, as he nodded his head. "With you girls de-petrified, Laxus can't possibly keep this silly game going on any longer."

"Still...what about everyone who was caught in Freed's traps and got hurt...and Lucy is still out there trying to track down Bickslow?" Mirajane said in a worried tone, stealing a quick glance at Natsu. The dual dragon slayer visibly looked calm, but Mirajane could tell that he was getting very anxious.

"That's right!" Bisca exclaimed, her voice laced with animosity. "That bastard Laxus better receive get some type of punishment for this! I won't tolerate it if he gets off Scott free!"

"Oh don't you worry." Makarov said, steam practically blowing out his ears. "I've give him a proper whooping later!"

"Hold on a second jii-chan." Natsu said, as he held up his hand to stop Makarov. "If anyone is gonna kick Laxus' ass, it's gonna be me. I've told you this before, but I've got some serious beef with Laxus. I need to pay him back for insulting Lucy, Erza, Mira, and Cana." This sudden declaration caused both Mirajane and Cana's cheeks to tint pink. "Plus I need to prove to that bastard once and for all that I'm the strongest lighting dragon slayer, and that his lacrima dragon slayer magic can't compare to the real thing." A large smirk spread across Natsu's face, as he punched his sparking fists together. "Besides, I've been cooped up in the guild during this entire battle! I'm ready to punch something!"

"Heh, if you really want to, I wouldn't mind going a couple rounds with you." Cana said with a grin, pulling out a stack of her tarot cards. "What do you say Natsu?"

"Please don't encourage him Cana." Bisca said with a light sigh, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "We don't need you two trashing the guild after we just fixed it."

"Aw, you're no fun Bisca!" Natsu whined, sitting down at the bar next to Cana. "I just wanna have some fun!"

"Yeah, let the guy have some fun!" Cana chimed in with a grin, as she wrapped her arm around Natsu's neck.

"God, I can't believe I thought he had actually matured..." Bisca muttered, slowly shaking her head. "What do Erza and Lucy see in him?"

With the girls in the guild no longer in immediate danger, the mood had lightened considerably. Cana and Natsu chatted with Mira at the bar, as the white-haired barmaid prepared some drinks for them. Levy and Bisca soon sat down at the bar as well, the green-haired cowgirl quickly getting into a small argument with Cana, which Levy tried her best to defuse. Gajeel was leaning on a railing on the other side of the room, watching the scene from afar. The iron dragon slayer had a frown on his face, as he continued to observe the antics happening in front of him.

"What's wrong, Gajeel-kun?" Juvia asked, as she walked up next to the iron dragon slayer. "You look kinda down."

"It's nothing..." Gajeel replied, watching as Natsu talked and joked with everyone seated at the bar. A hint of sadness could be seen in Gajeel's eyes when he saw Levy smiling and laughing with everyone else. _"I wish I could be like that with them...but except for Salamander no one really trusts me yet." _

"This guild is quite fun, isn't it?" Juvia asked with a small smile, as leaned on the railing next to Gajeel, her eyes drifting towards Natsu. "We've made so many new friends."

"Yeah...things sure are different here." Gajeel muttered, resting his head on his fist. "But everyone in this guild is fucking crazy."

"Well, that's what makes this place so exciting." Juvia said, as a slight blush spread across her face. "Everyone here is so nice to Juvia, and Juvia can be close to the ones Juvia loves."

"Heh...I guess you're right." Gajeel said with a smirk, noticing that Juvia was staring directly at Natsu, a soft smile on her face. The iron dragon slayer pushed Juvia's hat further down and ruffled her head. "If you want to make a move on Salamander you better act quickly, because he seems to be pretty popular with the ladies."

"W-W-What are you talking about!?" Juvia exclaimed with a raging blush, as steam literally shot out of her ears. "Natsu is just-" But when Juvia went to pull her hat back up, she saw that Gajeel was already walking away. Tightly balling her fists, Juvia's face turned an even darker shade of red. "Gajeel-kun, you idiot!"

"Gehe!" Gajeel laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets. _"If that blonde chick and the knight are any indication, Salamander will take good care of Juvia and keep her safe. Good, that girl has been through a lot, and she deserves a man who loves her and treats her right." _

"Another round Mira!" Natsu cheered, as he downed a flaming shot in one go.

"You should probably go easy Natsu." Mirajane said with a small smile, pouring Natsu a fresh drink and lighting the rim of the shot glass on fire. "I don't think things are quite over yet, and the last think we need is you getting drunk and doing something stupid."

"Come on Mira, there's a festival going on in town! And I want to celebrate you all you girls being freed!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin, as he grabbed the shot glass. However, before Natsu could finish drink, noticed Mirajane giving him a look that said she was dead serious. Knowing that it wasn't smart to piss Mirajane off, Natsu sighed and gave in. "Alright Mira, you win. This will be my last drink."

"Thank you Natsu." Mirajane said with a sweet smile, starting to wipe down the bar. "So Natsu what are you-" Mirajane stopped when she noticed the barrier on the front door acting strange. "Huh? What's going on over there?" Everyone in the guild gasped when a skull, with a lightning bolt running through it, and crossbones appeared on the barrier and began to spread across the guild hall.

"What's going on?" Levy asked, as she watched the skulls cover entire guild hall. "The enchantment displays are flooding everywhere!"

"Can ya hear me old man?" Laxus' disembodied voice echoed throughout the guild hall. "And everyone still in the guild too...it looks like we've lost one of our rules, so I'll impose a new one to keep this battle of Fairy Tail moving along. I've moved ahead and activated the **Thunder Palace**."

"**Thunder Palace**!?" Makarov parroted, as his eyes widened in shock.

_"No...he can't mean..." _Natsu thought, tightly balling his fists in anger.

"There's only one hour and ten minutes left...do you weaklings think you can defeat us? Or will you play nice and retire, 'master?' Moments later Laxus let out an evil laugh and the chanted display disappeared.

"What the hell are you thinking Laxus?! Are you trying to bring innocent citizens into this!?" Makarov roared in fury, as he released a massive amount of magical energy. "GAH!" However, before Makarov could do anything, he gasped in pain and grasped a hand over his heart. Groaning in agony, Fairy Tail's master collapsed to the ground.

"Jii-chan!" Natsu exclaimed, rushing over to Makarov's side. "What's wrong!?"

"This is really bad!" Mirajane said in a panic, as she kneeled down next to Makarov. "Master needs his medicine fast!"

"Damn it, of all times for this to happen..." Bisca said, doing her best to sooth Makarov's pain.

"Master..." Levy said in a worried tone, as she clasped her hands together. "Please get a hold of yourself."

"Everyone...it's awful!" Mirajane announced, pointing towards guild's balcony. "Please look outside!" Leaving Mirajane to help Makarov, everyone else rushed out to the balcony to see what was going on. When the Fairy Tail mages got outside, they were shocked to see dozens of large, sparking orbs floating in the air, completely encircling Magnolia.

_"That bastard...he wasn't joking..." _Natsu thought, as a low growl rumbled in his throat. _"Does he really intend to hurt innocent people?" _

"Those are...thunder lacrima..." Levy muttered, shielding her eyes as she observed the hovering lacrima.

"Why are things like that...floating over the town?" Cana asked, as she stared up at the lacrima in a mixture of awe and worry.

"Every one of those lacrima is charged with an enormous amount of lighting magic..." Levy explained, leaning against the balcony's railing.

"What happens if those things discharged?" Juvia asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"The entire town would be engulfed by a storm of lightning strikes." Cana explained, as tightly balled her fists and glared at the lacrima.

"Well I'm not going to let that happen! **Sniper Rifle: Ex-equip!**" Bisca exclaimed, materializing a rifle into her hands and taking aim at one of the lacrima. "I'll take those things out one by one!"

"NO BISCA!" Natsu roared, diving forward and forcing Bisca's rifle lower just as she fired, causing her shot to miss the lacrima.

"What the hell Natsu?!" Bisca asked in an angry tone, as she glared at the dual dragon slayer. "I had a clear shot!"

"Those lacrima are using **Organic Link **magic." Natsu explained, causing everyone's eyes to widen. "Any damage done to those lacrima is bounced back at the attacker, which means you'll just end up attacking yourself." Coating his hands in blue flames, Natsu took aim at one of the lacrima. "Watch." Natsu hurled a ball of fire at the lacrima, destroying the ball of crystal. Moments later the crack of thunder echoed out, before Natsu was hit by a bolt of lightning. The dual dragon slayer grit his teeth as the electricity coursed through his body. When the lightning died down, Natsu leaned against the balcony's railing, panting slightly.

"Natsu!" Juvia exclaimed in a concerned tone, as she placed a comforting hand on the pink-haired dragon slayer's shoulder. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah...Yeah, I'm fine Juvia." Natsu said with a weak grin, doing his best to reassure the blue-haired water mage. "I just need a minute."

"O-Okay..." Juvia said, as she released a sigh of relief. "If you need anything just let Juvia know."

"Oi Salamander..." Gajeel said, walking up next to Natsu. "If those things are using lightning magic, can't you just take them all out or eat their magic?"

"If this was normal lightning magic then maybe, but it would take a long time..." Natsu said, as he glared up at the floating lacrima crystals. "But those lacrima are charged with lightning dragon slayer magic, not regular lightning magic." When Gajeel heard this his eyes widened slightly. "Sure I would take less damage because I'm a lighting dragon slayer, but it still hurts me and with that many lacrima they would eventually wear me down."

"Okay, so destroying them all is out of the question..." Gajeel said, rubbing his chin. "Then can't you just eat all the magic powering those lacrima."

"Sure, but it would take a long time, and time is something we don't really have right now." Natsu replied, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You see if I eat too much fire or lightning I'll start to get sick...and if I keep eating after that...something really bad will happen."

"Something bad?" Gajeel repeated, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Igneel and Valinor warned me that if I ingest way too much fire or lighting...my magical containers could burst..." Natsu explained, which caused Gajeel's eyes to widen in shock.

"So you mean-"

"Yep..." Natsu said, as he pushed off the balcony's railing. "My magical containers could explode and kill me if I push them too far past their limits."

"Jesus..." Gajeel muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "That really heavy stuff Salamander."

"It doesn't really bother me." Natsu said, as he shrugged his shoulders. "I just have to be careful and try not eat too much magic."

"If you two are done chatting we need to get moving." Cana said, walking in between both dragon slayers. "If we don't hurry everyone in town will be in danger."

"Well I guess we've got no other choice, then to take Laxus out!" Natsu cheered with a grin, as he punched his electrified fists together. "I'm starting to get fired up!"

"I'll try evacuate as many people as I can! There's still members of the Raijinshū left, so everyone be careful!" Bisca said, slinging her rifle onto her back and exiting the balcony.

"Come on Juvia!" Cana said, as she grabbed the water mage's hand. "Let's try to track Laxus down! We can warn any citizens on out way."

"A-Alright!" Juvia managed to say, allowing Cana to pull her along.

* * *

(Same Time: Kardia Cathedral)

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Laxus laughed boisterously, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "How's that old man!? The people in this town...they're my new hostages!"

"You would go this far?" Freed asked, slightly taken aback by Laxus' actions.

"This far..." Laxus parroted, as electricity sparked off his body. "I decide my own limits." Tightly balling his fists, Laxus turned to glare at Freed. "This is a battle! It's not over until one side is completely obliterated!"

* * *

(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

"I'm glad that you're all pumped up Salamander..." Gajeel said, as he released a light sigh. "But you and I are still stuck in this damn building. We can't do shit until we get out of here."

"Damn it...you're right..." Natsu said in a disappointed tone, extinguishing the electricity from his hands. "MAN! I was really looking forward to kicking Laxus' ass!"

"I would get too disappointed, Natsu." Levy said with a smile, as she walked up to Natsu and Gajeel. "The barrier is an enchantment, right? That's a form of written magic...I'm pretty sure I can something about it."

"That's right, Luce mentioned that you might be able to help!" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes lighting up in excitement. "That's totally awesome Levy!"

"T-Thank you..." Levy said in a slightly embarrassed tone, as a faint blush spread across her face. "Well...I...I believe the two of you have what it takes to beat Laxus!"

"Of course..." Gajeel said with a wicked smirk, cracking his knuckles. "I do have a bone to pick with that bastard."

"Well let's get back inside..." Levy said, as she exited the balcony. "I've got a lot of work to do."

* * *

(Five Minutes Later)

"Hmmm..." Levy hummed, quickly scanning through the pages of a book. The **Solid Script **mage had tied her hair back into a ponytail and now wore a pair of reading glasses. "I see...I have to break down the rogue characters' arrangement data into basic character material...identify the base characters used in rule construction...L, O, S, U...now, if I map those into basic guile grammar..."

"You're really incredible, ya know..." Gajeel said in awe, as he crouched down next to Levy, watching her flip through an entire book in moments and write down formulas. "I can't understand a damn word coming out of your mouth."

"NO!" Levy suddenly exclaimed, surprising Gajeel so much that he fell onto his ass. "The 'L' and 'S' are a bluff! The keycode is 'ALS!"

"G-Gotcha..." Gajeel muttered, as he sat upright. The iron dragon slayer looked away from Levy, a light blush dusting across his face. _"Damn, she really is something." _

"Don't worry guys..." Levy said, brushing some hair behind her ear as she continued to scribble down formulas. "I'll get you two out of here in no time."

"Look shrimp...I just want to say..." Gajeel struggled say, as he scratched his cheek. "I just wanted to say...*Sigh* damn it...I just-"

"Please..." Levy said, turning head to look at Gajeel, a small smile on her face. "We can talk later once all of this over...but for now you must stop Laxus."

"Alright..." Gajeel said, as a smirk spread across his face. "Then you better get us out of here, so that we can clobber that asshole."

"Yeah..." Natsu growled, pressing his head against the invisible barrier, orange electricity sparking off his body. "Hurry up, Levy...I can't wait much longer..."

"You better do as Salamander says..." Gajeel said, as he handed Levy a book that she needed. "Cause he's starting to get really restless."

* * *

(Kardia Cathedral: With Laxus and Freed)

_"The **Thunder Palace**..." _Freed thought, starting to break out into a cold sweat. _"You'd really go that far, Laxus?" _

"What the hell are you doing Freed?" Laxus asked in an irritated tone, as he tightly balled his fists. "Bickslow is still out there hunting those faeries, you know...That old man is resting all his hopes on Erza and Natsu...I'll just crush them by myself. Same for Mystogan. So you get out there and take out the rest of those fairy bimbos. And if you come across that blonde chick...make sure to hurt her real bad. I want to see Natsu's face twisted in agony. I don't need any of them in my Fairy Tail, so feel free to kill them."

"KILL THEM!?" Freed exclaimed, his eyes shooting open in shock. "We may be fighting them right now, but they're still members-"

"ARE YOU DEAF!? DID YOU NOT HEAR MY ORDERS?!" Laxus roared, as a massive amount of lightning exploded off his body.

"*Sigh*...we've come this far...I fear that there's no going back now." Freed said with a hint of sadness in his voice, before steeling his resolve. "I will accompany you on this path...even if it leads to hell. I will accomplish my mission." Turning around, Freed began to fade away into a series of characters and letters. "I will be aiming to kill, so don't go getting cold feet."

"Very good, Freed the Dark." Laxus said, as a smirk spread across his face. "It's time to show them your real power."

* * *

(Bridge Overlooking the Fantasia Festival Grounds: With Lucy and Happy)

"Hey Happy..." Lucy said, pointing towards several larges orbs floating in the sky overhead. "What are those things."

"Those are..." Happy said, before his eyes widened. "That's the **Thunder Palace**!"

"**Thunder Palace**...what's that?" Lucy asked, staring up at the sparking spheres. "They look kind ominous."

"They're lacrima charged with lightning magic and it looks like they're surrounding the town." Happy said, as he spun around to gaze at all the lacrima. "They could cover all of Magnolia in lightning strikes...everyone in town is in danger. We should warn everyone!"

"I don't know about that, Happy." Lucy said, grabbing ahold of Happy's backpack before he could fly off. The blonde celestial spirit mage put the flying cat down and pointed towards the numerous people below them. "It's really busy now because of the festival, so if we aren't careful we could start a panic. It could lead to some unnecessary casualties and might even be as dangerous as those lightning strikes."

"That's true..." Happy muttered, as he rubbed his chin. "Then what should we do?"

"Yeah...

"What should we do..."

"Yeah..."

_"Those voices..." _Happy thought, quickly whipping around. The blue-flying cat was surprised to see three wooden dolls floating behind Lucy. "Lucy! Look out!" Wings sprouting from his back, Happy rocketed forward and pushed Lucy out of the way just in time. Lucy watched in shock as dozens of beams of energy zipped passed where she had been standing moments before. Without warning, Happy grabbed ahold of the back of Lucy's shirt and pulled her to safety.

"Happy! What the hell is going on!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she watched the wooden dolls begin to chase after them. "This is seriously creeping me out!"

"Those are Bickslow's dolls!" Happy replied, landing on a nearby rooftop.

_"Bickslow...he's the one Natsu wanted me to track down." _Lucy thought, as her eyes narrowed. _"I can't let him down now!" _

"Hoho! You're that newbie I've heard so much about!" A maniacal voice called out from behind Lucy. Spinning around, Lucy spotted a tall man, wearing an armored mask, standing atop a spire on a the adjacent rooftop.

"And you must be Bickslow." Lucy said, pulling out her celestial gate keys. "Sorry, but Natsu and Erza entrusted me to take you down. So, I'm gonna have to kick your ass!"

"Oho, what a coincidence..." Bickslow said in an evil tone, as he licked his lips. Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine when she saw Bickslow's eyes briefly glow from underneath his helmet. "Because I just got new orders from the boss...I'm supposed to hurt you real bad girly...something about making Natsu suffer..." Lucy's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and anger. "So what do you say girly..." Lucy's grip on her keys tightened, as she watched Bickslow's dolls circle around him. "Are you gonna show me a good time?"

* * *

**And done! BWHAHAHAHA! Evil cliffhanger! I felt this was good stopping point and will build hype for the next chapter. Well next chapter will pick up right where this one left off, and will have the Lucy and Loke vs. Bickslow fight. Now, so I don't confuse any of you, all of Natsu's mates will receive enhanced senses. But what Erza did was push her senses even further by pumping magic into her mate mark, this put her senses on the same level of a dragon slayer's for a brief time. So, while she normally has senses more powerful than a normal human's, but she can push them even further. However, right now her body can't handle the strain of the rapid increase of her senses. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (COME ON! LET'S PASS 1,000 REVIEWS WITH THIS CHAPTER!), PM me ideas you have for any of my stories, and check out my profile and other stories if you haven't already. I'll have one more chapter of this fic out before I start to update my Akame ga Kill fic. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


	35. Chapter 35 Lucy vs Bickslow

**Hey guys, I'm back for the final consecutive update chapter for now; after this chapter I'll be working on my Akame ga Kill fic. This chapter will pick up right where the previous one left off, and will start with Lucy and Loke battling against Bickslow. This fic has finally passed 1,000 reviews, which is totally awesome! Thank you all so much for your continued support! Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic! **

"Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**Magic**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.**

* * *

"You must be Bickslow." Lucy said, pulling out her celestial gate keys, which seemed to glow in the sunlight. "Sorry, but Natsu and Erza entrusted me to take you down. So, I'm gonna have to kick your ass!"

"Oho, what a coincidence..." Bickslow said in an evil tone, as he licked his lips. Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine when she saw Bickslow's eyes momentarily glow green from underneath his helmet. "Because I just got new orders from the boss...I'm supposed to hurt you real bad girly...something about making Natsu suffer..." Lucy's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and anger when she heard this. "So what do you say girly..." Lucy's grip on her keys tightened, as she watched Bickslow's dolls circle around him ominously. "Are you gonna show me a good time?"

_"He's strong..." _Lucy thought, tightly balling her fists in an attempt to stop her hands from trembling. _"He's definitely going to be the most powerful opponent I've faced so far...which means I can't afford to let my guard down for a second." _

"Alright my babies..." Bickslow commanded with his tongue lolled out, as he pointed towards Lucy. "Take her out...and don't hold anything back! We're aiming to kill here!"

_"KILL!?" _Lucy thought, her eyes shooting open in shock. _"What's wrong with this guy?! He really isn't playing around!" _Noticing that Bickslow's wooden dolls were gathering magical energy to fire their beams, Lucy reacted without any hesitation. "Happy! Look out!" The blonde celestial mage rushed forward and grabbed ahold of the blue cat, before she quickly dove out of the way, barely avoiding the wooden dolls' powerful attack. Lucy grunted in pain as she skidded across the rooftop, propelled by the explosion behind her. Curling herself into a ball, Lucy did her best to shield Happy from the shockwave and flying debris. Lucy eventually came to a halt, coughing as dirt and dust surrounded her. _"Son of a bitch...that really hurt..." _

"Lucy..." Happy asked in a worried tone, as he looked up at the blonde celestial spirit mage. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Happy...just a little banged up." Lucy replied, flashing the blue cat a quick smile.

"Heh, I guess you're actually a pretty tough broad...maybe you will be able to entertain me." Bickslow said with a smirk, as he stood atop one of his wooden dolls and hovered above Lucy. "You know...I should probably go a little easier on ya since you're new around here...but I guess I can't since we're in the middle of this game...and I do have those new orders from the boss...you understand right?"

"Screw you..." Lucy growled, slowly getting back onto her feet. "Do you think that master is going to forgive you guys?! You've all gone way too far!"

"HAHAHA! I don't need forgiveness from that guy!" Bickslow cackled, as he clasped his hands behind his back. "When this game is over Laxus will be the new master!" The remaining wooden dolls gathered around Bickslow, their eyes glowing threateningly. "Now be a good girl and just die!"

"Shit!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping to the right to dodge another volley of attacks. Briefly stumbling when she landed, Lucy looked up into the sky and glared at the wooden dolls circling above her. "I have to take those damn dolls, or I'm not gonna last much longer." Lucy quickly flipped through her celestial gate keys and found the one she was looking for. "**Open! Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!**" The celestial gate key began to glow, before Lucy was bathed in a bright golden light. Moments later, Sagittarius appeared in front of Lucy.

"Hello, hello? You called?" Sagittarius asked, as he saluted to Lucy.

"Oho, ain't this interesting." Bickslow said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "I didn't know you were a celestial spirit mage...that's pretty rare magic you got there, girly."

"I don't need your praise!" Lucy yelled, as she pointed at the wooden dolls circling Bickslow. "Take out those flying things, Sagittarius!"

"I hear your orders loud and clear!" Sagittarius said, readying three arrows into his bow. Pulling back the bowstring, Sagittarius took aim and let the arrows fly. Sagittarius showcased his stellar accuracy by hitting all three wooden dolls simultaneously. The arrows pierced clean through Bickslow's dolls, causing them to crumble to pieces.

"WAH! My babies!" Bickslow cried, as he hopped off the doll he was standing on. Landing on the rooftop, Bickslow picked up the remains of his babies. "First you got frozen by that bastard Gray, now you got smashed to pieces."

"All right!" Lucy cheered, giving the horse-suit wearing spirit a thumbs up. "Great shot, Sagittarius!"

"No! My babies!" Bickslow exclaimed, as seemingly started to cry. However, Lucy quirked an eyebrow in confusion when Bickslow suddenly started laughing. Carelessly dropping the remains of his wooden dolls, a smirk spread across Bickslow's face as he lolled out his tongue. "Just kidding..." Lucy's eyes shot open in shock when a magical beam suddenly shot right passed her head and struck Sagittarius in the chest.

"I'm sorry..." Sagittarius said in a pained tone, clutching the smoking wound on his chest. "It looks like I'll have to...take my leave early..." Gasping in pain one last time, Sagittarius disappeared in a flash of golden light.

"No! Sagittarius!" Lucy screamed, as she reached out towards where Sagittarius had been moments before. "H-How..."

"You can destroy my dolls all you want, girly..." Bickslow said in a menacing tone, larger and more elaborate wooden dolls rising into the air next to him. "But it won't stop the souls trapped within them that I control!"

"That's right!" The three puppets said simultaneously in a eerily happy tone.

"Souls?!" Lucy parroted in a confused tone, as she quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?!"

"Bickslow's magic allows him to implant souls into inanimate objects and control them." Happy explained, floating next to Lucy.

"That's completely fu-" Lucy was cut off when one of Bickslow's dolls shot forward and snatched her celestial gate keys. "HEY! Those are my keys damn it!"

"HAHAHA! You screwed up big time, girly!" Bickslow cackled, as his doll handed him Lucy's gate keys. "Right now we're standing on top of a toy store! It's a treasure trove of babies! It doesn't matter how many of my dolls you destroy, I'll just keep replacing them!"

"You bastard!" Lucy exclaimed, dodging a flurry of swooping attacks from Bickslow's dolls. "I'm getting sick of these damn things!" Cracking her whip, Lucy lashed out at one of the flying dolls. Lucy's whip hit one of the dolls and wrapped around it. With a growl, Lucy used her whip to slam the doll into the ground, smashing it to pieces. But to Lucy's dismay a new possessed toy flew up next to Bickslow almost instantly to replace the one that had been destroyed. "Shit, he wasn't kidding..."

"BWAHAHA! See!? You're totally screwed, girly! You might as well give up!" Bickslow laughed, as his tongue lolled out. "Just roll over and die!"

"Like hell I will!" Lucy yelled in defiance, cracking her whip once again. "I promised Erza and Natsu...I won't let them down!"

"Ah, I gave you a chance to die painlessly, but I guess you're gonna be stubborn until the very end. Sorry about this girly, just following my orders, I hope you understand." Bickslow said with a wicked grin, as his eyes began to glow underneath his armored helmet. "Your souls will be doing Laxus' biding from now on! Babies, **Baryon Formation**!" Lucy watched in shock as Bickslow's dolls linked together and formed a circle in the air. Suddenly the dolls began to spin rapidly, glowing as they rapidly gathered magical energy.

"W-What the hell is that..." Lucy breathed out, watching as the dolls began to spin even faster, seeming to blur together. _"Without my keys I can't do anything against that...even though I promised Natsu and Erza that I'd beat this creep...I can't let it end like this!" _Lucy's eyes shot open in fear as a massive beam of magical energy was fired from the center of the spinning dolls. Slamming her eyes shut, Lucy braced for the attack to hit her. _"Someone help me!"_

"STOOOOP!" Happy cried, as a few tears escaped his eyes. "Natsu can't lose someone close to him again!"

But just before the massive beam of magical energy could hit, a bright golden light shined in front of Lucy. A split second later, the blonde celestial spirit mage felt a pair of arms wrap around her and move her out of the attack's path. Lucy hesitantly cracked an eye open and was shocked to see a familiar face smiling back at her.

"L-Loke..." Lucy breathed out, her eyes slowly widening. "How are you here? I didn't summon you..."

"Who knows...But it appears that I alone have the power to pass through the gate whether you call me or not." Loke replied with a smirk, as he gently set Lucy down. "I guess you could say that this is proof that barrier between spirit and human...crumbles to nothing before the power of our love."

"Love?" Lucy parroted in a deadpanned tone, pushing the celestial spirit away from her. "What the hell are you talking about..." The blonde celestial spirit mage growled in irritation when she felt one of Loke's hands wandering a little bit too far up her thigh. With her face burning bright red in embarassment, Lucy slapped Loke's hand away. "OI! Watch those damn hands of yours! You're so lucky that Natsu isn't here right now, or he'd kick the shit out of you!"

"It's precisely because he isn't here that I can be more bold in proclaiming my love for you!" Loke proclaimed, as he kissed Lucy's hand.

"What...What the hell is going here?" Bickslow asked in a confused tone, scratching his head. "Weren't...we just fighting a second ago?"

"I'm just as confused as you..." Happy said, as he sweatdropped.

"Loke...now isn't the time to be doing this." Lucy said in an annoyed tone, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm in a real bind right now and I could use your help." However, everything Lucy said seemed to go unheard by the celestial spirit, as he continued to spout nonsense about his love for the blonde mage. "Loke..." Lucy's brow began to twitch in anger. "If you don't stop right now and help me I'll make sure Natsu hears about this..." This seemed to catch Loke's attention immediately. "And I'll make sure you can't go back to the celestial spirit world until he's done with you..." A shiver ran down Loke's spine as he pictured what the enraged dragon slayer might do to him. Shaking slightly, Loke began to turn white. "But if you help me I'll forget this ever happened."

"There's no need to tell Natsu!" Loke exclaimed in a panicked tone, as he released Lucy's hand. "Of course I'm here to help you!" Standing back up, the rings on Loke's fingers began to glow faintly. "Besides, I have to fulfill my promise."

"Heh, it's good to see you again Loke." Bickslow said with a smirk, noticing that things were starting to get serious once again. "So I guess what I heard was true, you really are a celestial spirit. Ahhhh, I always had this nagging feeling that there was something off about you...so what, you're gonna fight me after I kept quiet for you."

"He knew about Loke..." Lucy muttered, as she quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "How did he figure it out?"

"Well he has the ability to see human souls." Happy explained, floating up next to Lucy.

"So, you're gonna join the Battle for Fairy Tail?! Huh?!" Bickslow cheered, as a twisted smile spread across his face.

"If I'm being honest, I can't say I really care for what's going on right now." Loke replied, straightening out his suit jacket. "But I'm afraid..." Loke's tone suddenly became serious and behind his sunglasses his eyes were filled with anger. "Now matter the situation, hurting my owner Lucy or her loved ones...is something that I cannot forgive."

"BWAHAHAHAHA! Listen to this guy! You can't forgive me!? Don't forget that you've never been able to beat me in a fight pretty boy!" Bickslow bellowed, as his tongue lolled out. "Hell, I always have to be the nice guy and go easy on your ass!" Bickslow's possessed toys once again circled around him. "Let's have some fun with this guy, just like old times! Get to work my babies!" Cheering in delight, Bickslow's dolls flew towards Loke.

"Lucy, you stay behind me. I'll handle this." Loke said, holding out his arm to halt the blonde celestial spirit mage.

"You're joking right!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she cracked her whip. "Natsu and Erza trusted me to defeat this asshole, so I'm not just gonna sit back and let my spirits do all the fighting! I fight alongside my spirits...you're not just shields to cower behind!"

"Alright..." Loke said with a small smile, turning back to face Bickslow. "Just don't scratch that beautiful face of yours."

"Can you stop flirting for two seconds?" Lucy asked, as she released a heavy sigh. Seeing that Bickslow's dolls were about to attack, Lucy and Loke both jumped to the side to dodge the magical beams they were firing. "Damn, these dolls are such a nuisance."

"I'll take those dolls down one way or another! Once I've made an opening go for Bickslow!" Loke said, his magical power spiking suddenly.

"Alright! Let's go Happy!" Lucy exclaimed, as she unraveled her whip.

"O Regulus..." Loke chanted, his entire body becoming covered in bright golden light. "Grant me your strength!" With his hands now cloaked in golden light, Loke charged towards the flying dolls. Loke lashed out with his fists, destroying the dolls in a single strike.

"Oh give me a break! You can't land attacks on souls!" Bickslow yelled gleefully, as several more possessed dolls flew up into air behind him. "You can destroy their bodies all you want, but they'll just move into new ones! Go get 'em my new, lovely babies!" The fresh wave of possessed dolls wasted no time and made a beeline straight for Lucy. However, before the dolls could get too close, Loke jumped in front of Lucy and destroyed them once again.

"I won't matter how may you send..." Loke said, glaring at Bickslow. "I won't let those things anywhere near Lucy."

"Here's my chance, before more dolls show up!" Lucy called out, as she raced towards the edge of the roof. Steeling her nerves, Lucy leaped off the roof, feeling a wave of relief wash over her when she felt Happy grab the back of her shirt. "Time for you to be taught a lesson!" Swinging her whip, Lucy just barely missed Bickslow as he jumped backwards. "Get back here!"

"Oh please, have mercy on me!" Bickslow taunted with a smirk, continuing to dodge Lucy's attacks.

"Keep going Lucy!" Loke exclaimed, as he destroyed another volley of possessed toys. "Bickslow himself isn't that strong!"

"What the fuck did you say, you bastard!?" Bickslow growled, shaking his fist at Loke. "I'll kick your ass!"

"Don't take attention off your opponent!" Lucy yelled, as she took advantage of Bickslow being distracted and struck him in the face with her whip. Bickslow's face recoiled back, as the leather whip hit him in the cheek. "Heh, that'll teach you to not get distracted during a fight!"

"Damn it all! You've pushed me too far!" Bickslow growled, reaching up and starting to take off his armored mask. "I've got no other options!" Pulling his mask down, Bickslow lolled his tongue out again as he revealed a pair of ominously glowing, green eyes. "**Figure Eyes**!"

"Lucy! Loke!" Happy exclaimed, as he flew in front of the blonde celestial spirit mage's face, pointing his back towards Bickslow. "Don't look into his eyes!"

"What are you talking about, Happy?!" Lucy asked, closing her eyes and turning her head away from Bickslow.

"There's one thing that all the members of the Raijinshū have in common..." Bickslow explained, as he began to advance towards Lucy and Loke. "We each have a second ability in our eyes! If you look into my eyes, I'll turn you into one of my dolls...and control your soul!"

"This really isn't good..." Lucy muttered, covering her eyes with her hand.

"Shielding your eyes...let's see how well that works out for you." Bickslow said with a sadistic smirk, as his possessed toys rocketed forward and began to attack Lucy and Loke.

"GAH!" Lucy coughed in pain, one of Bickslow's dolls slamming into her stomach.

"Both of you, keep your eyes closed no matter what!" Happy yelled through grit teeth, as he endured the unrelenting attacks from the possessed dolls. "You just have to tough the pain out!"

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Bickslow cackled maniacally, lolling his tongue out. "There's no one in the world who can beat my ultimate combo of **Figure Eyes** and human possession!"

"Lucy! You need to use Horologium!" Loke exclaimed, just before he took a hit to the back of the head. "I'll fall back for now and you can use Horologium to strengthen your defenses!"

"Well that's easier said than done! That bastard took my keys, remember!?" Lucy screamed, as she raised her arms to try and block some of the attacks. "And besides...I'm putting my faith in you here, so do something about Bickslow already!"

"Heh...your wish is my command." Loke said, a smirk spreading across his face. "It's do-or-die time now. Lucy, when I give you the signal, open your eyes and attack Bickslow."

"But...if I open my eyes..." Lucy said hesitantly, as she managed to block one of the possessed doll's attacks.

"I thought you put your faith in me, huh?" Loke asked in a teasing tone.

"*Sigh* I guess I did..." Lucy said with a small smile, reaching for her whip. "Alright Loke...ready when you are."

"**Zenith of Regulus**..." Loke exclaimed, as a bubble of golden light formed around his body.

"Don't give them the chance to pull any big moves! So get in there and finish them off immidiately!" Bickslow laughed manically, his possessed toys surrounding Loke. "**Baryon Formation**!" However, Bickslow's counterattack was just a bit too slow.

"**Lion Brillance**!" Loke roared, as a wave of blinding golden light exploded off him.

"GAH! What the hell?!" Bickslow exclaimed, closing and shielding his eyes from the intense light. "Some kind of light smokescreen!?"

"Now Lucy!" Loke yelled, as he turned to face his summoner.

"Let's finish this!" Lucy exclaimed, lashing out with her whip. With extremely precise aim, Lucy wrapped the whip around Bickslow's neck.

"Shit! There's no way you can defeat me!" Bickslow screamed, as he struggled to unwrap the whip around his neck.

"I'm sick of your damn mouth!" Lucy yelled, yanking her whip downwards and slamming Bickslow face-first into the ground. "Loke! You're up!"

"Right!" Loke exclaimed, as he charged towards Bickslow. "I'm not the same person you remember...since meeting Lucy, I've recovered my original powers as a celestial spirit. No...that's not quite right! Meeting Lucy herself has made me strong!" Leaping into the air above Bickslow, Loke cocked his fist back. "I'm not like those damn dolls you control! Love is what gives a celestial spirit strength!" Loke's fist became engulfed in golden light in the shape of a ferocious lion. "**Regulus Impact**!" Loke slammed his fist into Bickslow's back, causing the member of the Raijinshū to roar in pain. The celestial spirit's attack sent out a small shockwave and created an explosion of gold light. When the light died down, Bickslow lay unconscious, a smoking impact on his back.

"Nice work Loke..." Lucy said with a bright smile, wiping some sweat from her brow. "Thanks a lot for helping."

"So..." Loke said with a smirk, as he walked up next to Lucy. "Do I get some type of reward? A kiss maybe?"

"*Sigh* Please don't start with this again..." Lucy said in an annoyed tone, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Or do I have to have a talk with Natsu?"

"No ma'am." Loke replied, as he deflated instantly, his shoulders sagging. "I'll be a good boy."

"Some people never learn." Happy said with a small smile, shaking his head.

* * *

(Same Time: Back in Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)

"Huh? Well ain't that a surprise..." Gajeel said, as he watched a new progress update appear on the barrier. "Looks like bunny girl actually can fight."

"Heh, told you Luce was strong!" Natsu exclaimed with a smirk, playfully smacking Gajeel on the back. "I knew she could do it!"

"It's not like I doubted you...but I can't help but be a little shocked...the Raijinshū are known across Fiore, they're no joke." Gajeel said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess that proves you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"I knew Lu-chan could do it!" Levy cheered with a grin, getting both dragon slayer's attention. The petite bluenette took a brief break from her enchantment decryption to adjust her glasses. "That means I've got to do my best as well!"

"How's it coming Levy?" Natsu asked, as he crouched down next to the bookworm.

"Yeah, you making any progress?" Gajeel added, standing next to the pink-haired dragon slayer.

"I think I've almost got it..." Levy replied, as she brushed a few stray locks of blue hair behind her ear. "If I can just solve this part here...and overwrite the enchantment...but this has been the hardest part so far...hmmmm..." Levy hummed as she wracked her brain to figure a solution. Suddenly Levy's eyes snapped open as she came to a sudden realization. "THAT'S IT!" Hunching over her notes, Levy began to furiously scribble down new formulas and mutter to herself. "Of course! I just have to go through it deciphering the two separate grammars at different rates!"

"Do you have any idea what the hell she's saying?" Gajeel asked, leaning closer and whispering to Natsu.

"I've known her for seven years and I still don't understand half the stuff that she says." Natsu replied, as he scratched his head in confusion. "So I'm just as lost as you are."

"If I go through the text mapping the characters with corresponding frequency onto guile grammar, and then convert that into rogue..." Levy stopped muttering and stared down at her notes for several moments, quickly scanning over everything she had written. A wide smile spread across Levy's face, as she held up her notes. "I'VE GOT IT!"

"WAH! Great job Levy!" Natsu said with a toothy grin, giving the blue-haired bookworm a flaming thumbs-up.

"Yeah, nice job shrimp." Gajeel with a smirk, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. _"I knew she could do it." _

"You guys wait here! I'm going to overwrite the enchantment!" Levy cheered, grabbing her notes and shooting to her feet. "I hope you guys are ready, because it's time for you to take part in the battle of Fairy Tail!"

"Damn right, I'm ready!" Natsu exclaimed, as he punched his sparking fists together. "I've got to teach Laxus a lesson! He's not getting away this time!"

"It's about time we've had a little fun." Gajeel said with a feral grin, cracking his knuckles.

_"Get ready Laxus..." _Natsu thought, as his eyes narrowed dangerously. _"Because I'm coming for you!" _

* * *

(Five Minutes Later: Magnolia Marketplace with Mirajane)

"Where could he be..." Mirajane muttered to herself, walking through marketplace's empty streets. When the white-haired barmaid passed an alleyway, something happened to catch her eye. Her eyes shot open when she saw her brother badly wounded, laying at the alley's entrance. Starting to panic, Mirajane immediately rushed to her brother's side. "Elfman!"

"N-Nee-chan..." Elfman struggled to say, as he managed to slightly lift his head.

"These wounds..." Mirajane said, gasping when she saw the extent of Elfman's injuries. "They're awful...we need to get you help..."

"Th-Thank God...you're back...to normal..." Elfman said in a weak voice, as he raised himself up onto his elbows, completely ignoring pain shooting through his body.

"I'm sorry Elfman!" Mirajane sniffled, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "I'm so sorry..."

"What're you...apologizing for?" Elfman asked, as a small smile spread across his face. "You haven't...done anything wrong...nee-chan."

"No...I have..." Mirajane cried, unable to fight back her tears any longer. Chocking back a sob, tears began to stream down Mirajane's cheeks. "Back when Phantom Lord attacked...and this time...I couldn't do a thing to help...I relied on everyone else to solve all our problems...especially Natsu...and because of that...you keep getting-"

"You don't...have to do do anything nee-chan..." Elfman said with a smile, as he petted Mirajane's head, doing his best to calm his older sister. "One this pointless fight is over with...you just need to greet everyone with a warm smile; that's more than enough."

"Elfman..." Mirajane breathed out, before hiding her face hands, as she began to cry even harder.

"Oh come on, nee-chan..." Elfman said, as he chuckled lightly. Grunting from the exertion, Elfman sat upright and wrapped an arm around Mirajane's shoulders, pulling her close. "There's no need for you to cry anymore."

* * *

(Same Time: Other Side of Magnolia with Cana and Juvia)

"Juvia...how long do we have until the **Thunder Palace **is activated?" Cana asked, staring up at the lacrima floating high up overhead.

"About thirty minutes, Juvia thinks." Juvia replied, as she tapped her chin.

"GAAAH! 'Battle for Fairy Tail,' my ass!" Cana growled, tightly balling her fists. "That bastard Laxus is just hiding himself and not doing a damn thing!"

"Where on Earthland could he be..." Juvia muttered, as she stared down at her feet. The bluenette water mage released a light sigh and clasped her hands together. _"Juvia hopes Levy-san can free Natsu and Gajeel-kun...we need their help..." _

"Laxus is saving up his magic." A calm voice called out from above Cana and Juvia. "He means to have an all-out battle with Master." Juvia and Cana's eyes widened when they saw a green-haired man standing on nearby bridge. "That's why he's saving his power until then and not showing himself."

"Freed!" Cana exclaimed, as she reached for her magic tarot cards.

"So this is the man behind the enchantments?!" Juvia asked, her eyes narrowing. _"We must be careful...Natsu mentioned that he is the strongest amongst the Raijinshū behind Laxus himself..." _

As Freed stared down at Cana and Juvia, Laxus' words echoed in his mind. _"Take out Cana and that Phantom Lord chick...feel free to kill them." _Both girls gasped in surprise when Freed suddenly spun around and started running off.

"Is he making a break for!?" Cana yelled, as she started to chase after Freed. "Come on Juvia!"

"Wait Cana-san!" Juvia called out, quickly following after the brunette card mage. "We have to be careful! Natsu said to watch out for-" Both Cana and Juvia stopped in their tracks when they saw characters appear on the ground and begin to spread around them. "Traps..."

"Shit!" Cana exclaimed, as she watched a barrier sprout from the characters that had surrounded them. "Another enchantment!?"

"Juvia tried to warn you..." Juvia muttered, hanging her head and sagging her shoulders. Both mages weren't surprised when writing suddenly appeared on the barrier in front of them.

"**Rule: Leaving this enchantment is forbidden until one or the other of the occupants is rendered unable to fight**."

"No way..." Cana breathed out, as she stared at the barrier's rule in shock.

"Until one of us...is unable to fight..." Juvia repeated, clutching a hand over her pounding heart. _"Juvia...Juvia can't fight one of her nakama...Juvia wants everyone in Fairy Tail to like her...besides...this girl is special to Natsu...I would be hurting both of them if I fought her...what should Juvia do?"_

"I will take on the winner myself." Freed said in a menacing tone, as he glared at both girls. "Start whenever you're ready."

"This a dirty damn trick freed and you know it!" Cana yelled, pounding her fists on the invisible barrier created by the enchantment. "If you want a one-on-one fight I'll take you on, enchantment or no enchantment! So let us out of here already, you bastard!"

"Forcing nakama to fight each other like this..." Juvia said, as she stared down at her feet. "It just isn't right..."

"Heh, I know what's really going here." Cana said with a smirk, pressing her forehead against the barrier as she glared at Freed. "You're scared of fighting both of us a once! That's it isn't it!? You're scared of a couple girls! That's pretty pathetic of you! I guess you're just a big pussy after all!"

"You're childish attempts to anger me will not work." Freed said, as he slowly shook his head. "I am merely trying my best to reduce the number of people that I'll have to kill."

"What the fuck did you just say!?" Cana roared, her eyes filling with rage. "You sick bastards are going way too far now! How can actually kill your nakama!?"

_"They're...trying to kill us...this isn't just making nakama fight each other anymore..." _Juvia thought, as she tightly clasped her hands together. The blue-haired water mage trembled slightly as she imagined all her new friends being taken away from her. _"Juvia...Juvia won't let that happen...Juvia will protect her nakama..."_ Balling her fists to stop them from shaking, Juvia stared up at the lacrima floating high above her. _"Juvia knows what she has to do..." _Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Juvia transformed her entire body into flowing water. "I suppose...Juvia has no other choices."

"Juvia...what are you..." Cana asked, turning to face the bluenette water mage.

"Freed-san..." Juvia said, as she locked eyes with the green-haired member of the Raijinshū. "Do you promise that once one of us is incapacitated, you will fight the other fair-and-square?"

"I'm not the type of man would break his own rules and go back on his promises." Freed replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I will fight whoever remain conscious."

"Good..." Juvia said with a smirk, as she turned her attention back to Cana.

"You have to be joking, Juvia!" Cana exclaimed, taking a step away from the water mage. "If we start fighting now, we'll be playing right into his hands!"

"Cana-san..." Juvia said with a small smile on her face, as she clasped her hands over her heart. "When you're released from here please defeat Freed-san and go support Natsu and Gajeel-kun, they'll need all the help they can get to defeat Laxus-san."

"What are you-" Cana was cut off when Juvia suddenly rocketed passed her; the blue-hared mage using her water to propel herself higher into the air. "Hey! Juvia!" Cana watched in confusion as Juvia bounced off the walls of the barrier, ascending higher every time she collided with a wall.

"Go as high as you want, you can't escape my enchantment." Freed muttered, eager to see what Juvia was possibly planning.

"If I have to hurt someone...If I have to injure one of my nakama..." It was then that Freed and Cana noticed that Juvia was flying directly towards one of the lacrima above them.

"Wait...is gonna..." Cana breathed out, remembering what the lacrima had done when Natsu had destroyed one. The brunette card mage's eyes widened as she pictured what one of those lacrima would to someone who wasn't resistant to lightning magic. "Juvia stop! If you attack one of those lacrima..." However, Cana's warning went unheeded, as Juvia slashed through the lacrima with blades made out of water.

"Juvia refuses to hurt her nakama...she will sacrifice herself instead!" Juvia exclaimed, just as lightning began to tingle her body. A split second later, a massive bolt of lightning struck Juvia head on. The bluenette water mage roared in pain, as the powerful electricity coursed through her conductive body. Gritting her teeth through the pain, Juvia managed to turn her head and glance down at Cana. _"This pain is nothing compared to pain Juvia felt all those years she was alone...Juvia has finally found a place she can call home and has people that love and care for her...people that Juvia has to protect...and Juvia will do whatever it takes to protect the things she loves!" _Seconds later the lightning stopped and Juvia began to fall back down.

"JUVIA!" Cana screamed, watching in shock as the blue-haired water mage crashed into the ground. The brunette card mage gasped in alarm when she saw Juvia's smoking body, some of her pale skin was covered in burns and her clothes had been torn to shreds. Without a second thought, Cana raced to Juvia's side, kneeling down next to the injured water mage.

"T-That...should...take care of...the enchantment..." Juvia struggled to say between ragged breaths, as she watched the barrier disappear around them.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" Cana exclaimed, tightly balling her fists.

"Juvia just...wanted to protect her nakama...now that I'm a true member of Fairy Tail...Juvia loves all of you..." Juvia said, as she managed to smile through the intense pain she was feeling. "Remember what I said Cana-san, please defeat Freed-san...and go help Natsu and Gajeel-kun in any way you can."

"Of course!" Cana cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll kick this bastard's ass, then I'll go help those idiots as fast I can!"

"Thank...you." Juvia said weakly, before she closed her eyes and her body went limp.

"Juvia...Juvia..." Cana said with tears still pouring from her eyes, gently shaking the blue-haired water mage. But nothing Cana tried could rouse the unconscious bluenette. "JUVIA!"

_"W-What's up with this girl..." _Free thought, as he stared at Juvia in shock. _"She chose the life of her nakama over her own!?" _

"That does it..." Cana muttered, slowly standing back onto her feet. The brunette card mage's shoulders were trembling, as she fanned a stack of magical tarot cards in both hands. Whipping around to face Freed, Cana's eyes were full of fury. "FREED! I'm gonna take you down, you son of a bitch!"

* * *

(Same Time: With Natsu and Gajeel)

"Damn it!" Natsu exclaimed, as he sprinted through the streets of Magnolia with Gajeel right beside him. "Where the hell is Laxus hiding?!"

"Maybe we should head higher up." Gajeel suggested, pointing to the top of a large tower. "We might be able to pick up his scent."

"That's not a bad-" Natsu stopped mid-sentence when he suddenly felt an intense discomfort in his chest. Gasping in pain, Natsu clutched both hands over his chest and collapsed to his knees. Sweat was pouring off Natsu's brow as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Oi Salamander!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he immidiately crouched down next to Natsu. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you hurt or something!?"

"J-Ju-Juvia!" Natsu struggled to say, slowly getting back onto his feet. "S-Something happened to Juvia..."

"Something happened..." Gajeel muttered, before his eyes widened as he expected the worst. "You don't mean she-"

"No, she's not dead." Natsu cut the iron dragon slayer before he could something so awful. Leaning against a wall, Natsu took a few moments to catch his breath. "Juvia is just really hurt...they must have run into one of Freed's traps, or something...damn it...that means Cana is gonna have to fight Freed all by herself..." Lowering his head, Natsu tightly balled his fists. "I hope someone shows up and backs her up, because we don't have time to help them...Cana is tough, but it's gonna take more than being tough to beat Freed..."

"Well I'm glad to hear that Juvia hasn't kicked the bucket." Gajeel said without warning, as he turned to look at large tree in the distance. The iron dragon slayer appeared to be in quite a rush, as he gestured towards the towering tree. "I'm gonna head up there and see if I can try to pick up Laxus' scent."

"Hold on a second Gajeel..." Natsu said, reaching out and grabbing the iron dragon slayer's arm. "Something ain't right."

"What the hell are you talking about, Salamander?" Gajeel asked, as he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "And let go of my arm!"

"You didn't seem too concerned about Juvia just now..." Natsu said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I saw it in your eyes Gajeel...when I said something had happened to Juvia you looked really worried...now all of sudden you're acting like you could care less about her..."

"Well you said she wasn't dead so I-"

"Don't you fucking lie to me!" Natsu growled, yanking Gajeel closer, so that they were now face-to-face. "Juvia cares a lot about you and I know you care about her too! So don't try to pull on any fast ones on me Gajeel! Because I swear to God, if you're working with Laxus I will not hesitate to beat the shit out of you!"

"Don't lump me in with that dick!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he roughly slapped Natsu's hand. "I've got a bone to pick with that egotistical lightning douche too! In case you forgot he fried me pretty good the other day and he almost hurt Levy! I want to kick the shit out of him just as bad as you do, Salamander!"

"Shit...that's right." Natsu muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry Gajeel, I'm just really stressed out right now and Juvia getting hurt didn't help."

"It's cool Salamander, I understand." Gajeel said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "This isn't the time to be fighting each other, these bastards have made enough of our friends do that already...By the way Salamander, how did you know Juvia got hurt?"

"I can sense when my mates are severely injured, it kinda feels like I'm getting kicked in the gut repeatedly and my heart starts pounding like crazy. I guess it's my instincts telling me to protect my mates." Natsu explained, clutching a hand over his heart. "I first noticed I had this ability when Luce was captured by Phantom Lord and you guys were torturing her."

"Shit...sorry about that Salamander." Gajeel said, as he rubbed the back of his head, feeling a strong sense of guilt.

"I'm still pissed that you hurt Luce, but that's in the past now." Natsu said, shrugging his shoulders. "So Gajeel, tell me what the hell is going on. Why are you in such a rush?"

"*Sigh* I...I have to contact someone." Gajeel replied, as he avoided Natsu's gaze. "If I don't do it soon, they'll start to suspect something."

"Who will suspect something?" Natsu asked, slowly shaking his head. "Can't this wait Gajeel? Cause we're really pressed for time right now."

_"Aside from master and Juvia, Salamander is the only person in Fairy Tail that I can really trust right now. I know master wanted me to keep it a secret, but I guess it won't really be a problem if I tell Salamander. Besides, he's not gonna lay off until I tell him." _Gajeel thought, as locked eyes with the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Alright, I'll tell you Salamander, but you can't tell anybody, not even your mates. Ya got it?"

"Sure Gajeel, my lips are sealed." Natsu said, nodding his head in understanding. "Now what's going on?"

"After I joined Fairy Tail, master gave me a special mission." Gajeel explained, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Special mission?" Natsu repeated, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah, master wanted me to infiltrate Raven Tail and keep an eye on them." Gajeel said, as he leaned on the wall next to Natsu. "Ya know, be like a double agent."

"Raven Tail? I've never heard of that guild." Natsu said, furrowing his brow as he thought.

"Well I'm not surprised, since it was formed pretty recently. But it's run by master's son and Laxus' father, Ivan Dreyar." Gajeel explained, which caused Natsu's eyes to widen in surprise. "Apparently he has a grudge against Fairy Tail, and master wants me to keep tabs on him."

"Damn...that's a pretty serious job." Natsu said, lowering his head. "That must put a lot of pressure on you."

"It does, that's why I'm in such a hurry." Gajeel said, as he pushed off the wall and looked at the large tree once again. "Look Salamander I really have to go. If I wait any longer Ivan is gonna start to think something fishy is going on." Patting Natsu on the shoulders, Gajeel took off running towards the tree. "When I get back I'll help you search for Laxus!"

"Well hurry the hell up! We're running out of time!" Natsu called out, looking up at the sky above him. _"Raven Tail, eh? That name sounds kinda ominous...I have a feeling we're gonna clash with them some day...but at the same time, I can't shake the feeling that something good will come from that encounter."_

* * *

**And done! Not a super long chapter, but I felt this was good stopping point. So Lucy has defeated Bickslow, Juvia was knocked out, and Natsu now knows of Gajeel's secret mission. Next chapter will pick up where this one left off and will have Mirajane's fight against Freed, so get ready for that! Unfortunately, this is the last update for now. I have to update my Akame ga Kill and Pokemon fics first, before I can do any more work on this one. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK!), PM me any ideas you have for any of my fics, and check out my profile and other fics if you haven't already. So until next time, I'm outta here!**


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